Kitten's Got Claws, Snake's Got Poison
by xXfireXflyXx
Summary: SEQUEL TO HER RIDDLE HIS FUTURE ; Elodie & Edward thought they were finished with Tom. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
1. Soon

Yep (:

This is the sequel to 'Her Riddle ; His Future', and it was already copied by some "author" on here, but thankfully she took it down so the rightful person could put it up. To those of you who have already read it, I hope you enjoy it the second time around! If you haven't read it, I hope you have read the prequel, and will enjoy this!

* * *

Elodie stroked her son's forehead, gently sweeping away a black strand of hair.  
"Mum?" he murmured sleepily, looking away from the book he had been looking through, "When's dad coming home?"  
"Soon," she whispered, smiling at him, "The Minister asked him to come in for a very important meeting. Do you know why?"  
"Dad's an important man," he whispered proudly, his head returning to the pillow on her lap. She sighed, "James... Maybe you should go to bed. Your father may be very late."  
"Ok... Night mum."  
"Give me a kiss," she ordered as he rolled off the blue, faded couch the pair had been sitting on. He leaned in, planting a quite peck on her cheek, then hurried out of the room, his Quidditch book tucked under his arm.

Releasing another loud sigh, Elodie glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine thirty, the latest her husband Edward had ever worked.

They were married rather suddenly after Hogwarts. Both were eighteen, and ready to face the world, and its demons. Elodie took her favourite professors advice and applied for a job at the ministry. While Edward was looking into another field of work, he followed his wife, claiming he wanted to keep her safe. After several years of hard work, they were initiated in as aurors, both top of their class.

Many of their school friends left England, looking for work elsewhere. The only man that remained behind was Hirman Weasley, who also signed up for a job with the Minister. He, however, preferred a desk job, and worked out cases between Muggles and Wizards, opening the first official department of its kind. Edward and Elodie made regular visits to see him, and Elodie noted things were going quite well for their friend.  
Work wasn't the only place they saw their redheaded friend. He usually came around once or twice a week for dinner, since he was a hopeless cook. Elodie wished he would just find a wife so she wouldn't have to make meatloaf anymore.

Halfway through her auror training, Elodie became pregnant with her first child at age twenty. Nine months later, she gave birth to a healthy, happy baby boy, who looked just like his father. However, now that the boy was six, he had inherited Elodie's side of the family's vision, and was forced to wear glasses. He thought they made him look hip, which caused Elodie to nearly burst her gut laughing when he paraded around the house, stating he was 'sexy' now.

A new criminal had arisen. A man who went by the name of Lord Voldemort. Elodie suspected him a haughty Pureblood type, since his main targets were the Muggleborns and half-bloods. He had a clan of followers, who called themselves Death Eaters, and they always left a signature mark above the sites they had attacked; a skull with a snake slithering through it.  
Edward and Elodie worked with a team of aurors, trying to track down the villain, but all their attempts had proved fruitless. That evening, Edward had been called in for a meeting with the board of directors to discuss further plans of Voldemort's capture. Elodie would have gone along, but they still did not have a babysitter for James that night, and there was no way she would ever leave him alone.

She gazed across the room, smiling when her eyes landed on the wedding picture hanging over the fireplace. Their wedding had been perfect. It was small, since neither came from a wealthy family, and only their close friends were invited. However, that was all Elodie really wanted in the end of all things. They went to Paris for their honeymoon, and purchased a small, three bedroom house just outside of London. Elodie loved how there were no secrets with Edward. He had no hidden past that she was not aware of, and he did not keep things from her. He was such an open person, no matter how difficult the matter was.

There was a soft tap at the door, and Elodie jumped to her feet, grasping her wand and creeping through her living room, then down the hall to the door. The outline of her husband Edward stood out distinctly, but it was Ministry regulations to ask a private question. She cleared her throat, "Where did we take our honeymoon?"  
"Paris," his gruff voice replied. She could already sense the smile on his lips, and she quickly unlatched the door and ripped it open, dragging him inside and into her lips. In an instant, his arms were wrapped around her waist, and he was kicking the door closed, spinning her in a complete circle. Elodie giggled loudly and showered him with variations between soft sweet and hot little kisses, weaving her arms around his neck.

"We missed you," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his, "I just sent James to bed."  
"The directors kept asking me why you weren't there," Edward laughed, gently setting her down and rolling her eyes, "They didn't quite grasp the concept of having a child."  
Elodie snorted and took his coat, hanging it up on the rack, "So? How did it go?"  
Edward's face turned deadly serious and her content persona disappeared, "What? What happened?"  
"They..." he let out a sigh, then slowly began to smile, "They gave us the case! And we got a whole big loan!"

Elodie let out a squeal and leapt up into a hug, allowing Edward to spin her in the air once more.  
Their team had been pushing hard to be the solo aurors hunting down Lord Voldemort, as was nearly the entire Ministry. It was a great honour when the Minister gave a certain team a difficult case, but this had to be the hardest the Ministry had dealt with. Lord Voldemort seemed to have evaded the teams of very skilled aurors for nearly six years. There had been evidence that, until only recently, linked the dark wizard to crimes nearly ten years ago.

Elodie paused for a moment, then finally calmed completely, "What about James? Either one of us needs to stay home... Or we need to find someone to sit with him."  
Edward shrugged, "Hirman could... He and James like each other."  
Elodie repressed a groan and followed him into the kitchen, "Hirman needs to find a girl... Not stay home in the evenings and look after our boy."  
"Come on, Elodie," Edward chuckled, retrieving his frozen dinner from the fridge and slowly removing the cover she had used to keep it warm, "Hirm likes looking after him... Ooh, this looks good."  
"Edward," Elodie warned, hoping to keep his attention away from food, "This is serious! If we're supposed to be researching this case, James needs someone to watch him."  
"We'll find a Muggle babysitter," Edward said after taking a quick scoop of corn, "The girl down the street is always looking for money to go buy clothes."

Elodie grinned. There was a little redheaded girl down the road who was constantly buying clothes, but whenever they talked, always complained she didn't have enough money for anything.

Elodie shrugged, "I suppose... Can we trust James with a Muggle? He's a bit..."  
"Experimentive?" James joked, cocking an eyebrow and running a hand through his black hair, "He's just trying to find his magic. I was like that when I was little."  
"He set our laundry on fire when it was hanging to dry!" Elodie groaned, pouring Edward a glass of water and taking a seat at the table, "I'm afraid what he would do with a human."  
"I've done worse before," Edward stated, leaning back in his chair, his food untouched. She watched him rub his eyes wearily, and instantly pitied him. They had both been under so much pressure lately, but the meeting that evening had been the most important one of the year. Elodie almost thought he would be relieved to have it over and done with, but that was an understatement. Now that they were actually given the Voldemort case, they had to walk the walk, after nearly a year of talking the talk.

Neither knew what the future held, but she knew something was coming, and it would happen sooner then they hoped for.

*-

Tom stared down at the newspaper, grinning when his mark shone brightly above the last house he and his followers had ransacked.

Of course, he seemed feared enough, but he knew there more out there.

_More to life, Tom, more to life._

_  
_Yes, yes there was. But, his silly little voice needed to learn he was no longer Tom, he was Voldemort.

Voldemort. A name feared by wizards all across the world. He and his Death Eaters, or loyal followers, targeted Muggles, half-breeds, and Mudblood, proving that they were merciless, and should not be taken lightly. However, all this had earned him was a few pesky aurors on his trail.

He had dealt with _them_, but there would always be more.

Several aurors had gotten close to him, some even wormed their ways into his close circles of followers. Although they were sneaky, Voldemort knew.

He always knew who they were.

He kept few people close to him. Adrian Malfoy brought his family into the business of supporting Voldemort and his ways. Another school friend, Julian Nott successfully completed many tougher missions and assassinations, holding him high in Voldemort's mind.  
Naturally, there were people, usually older men, who mocked Voldemort. Oh, they supported his beliefs on blood purity, but they never quite thought he could keep control.  
He made them know. He performed powerful magic, banned magic, and painful magic, most of which had earned him Ministry attention. That _was_ his goal, after all. When his wand recorded all the killing curses he had used over the years, he instantly shot to the 'Most Wanted' list among aurors and high ranking officials in his world.

All the better. How many more supporters did that give him? Hundreds.

Not every single supporter was a genius. Very few even deserved to be in his esteemed presence, but he tolerated them for gatherings and rallies. The idiots believed anything he told them, as long as he made long, energetic speeches.  
He needed someone smart. He wished that damn girl, Elodie, had stayed with him. It ate away at the back of his mind that she refused him. No one refused Lord Voldemort. No one.  
She did though! It killed him! How could she say no? He knew she loved him... So why did she say no?

Sometimes he would just sit in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames, watching them taunt his very being. She was just a silly girl.

Well, probably a woman now.

Merlin, who would she be with? Who would take her?

It bothered him to all extents, and the little voice in his head, which sounded an awful lot like his teenage voice, never failed to remind him that she left him.

"My Lord?" Adrian called, tapping on the door to his study, "I have news from MacNair."  
Ah, his faithful MacNair. Hidden within the Ministry, working alongside his enemies as a useful mole.  
Voldemort did not look away from his fire, but motioned for Adrian to enter, "What news, Malfoy?"  
He heard Adrian scuffle in, bow, then join him beside the fireplace. The Malfoy had grown since school. He was no longer a boy. He was married, he performed dark magic, and he was tough with his victims. Voldemort always enjoyed his company, when he wanted some.

"MacNair found out the heads of the new team out to destroy you," Adrian informed him, a hint of humour in his voice, "It's the Potters."  
Voldemort's eyes widened, and he turned to face his servant, who was clad in the traditional black robes, his face covered by the large hood, "The Potters? That insufferable Edward Potter became an _auror_?"  
"It gets better, Master," Adrian chuckled. "Do you know who he married?"  
"Some Gryffindor tart, no doubt," Voldemort snorted, rolling his eyes. Adrian shook his head, "Not quite... You know her."  
"Do I?" Voldemort mused, gazing into the fire.  
"It's Elodie."

_The pretty one, Tom, the pretty one._

_  
_He **knew** who she was. He glared up at his forehead, as if it was the window to his mind.

"She married him?" Voldemort whispered, turning sharply to Adrian, "Potter?"

He had lost her to _Potter_?!  
No. No he hadn't.

_Jealous, Tom, jealous._

_  
_Not jealous; possessive. No scum like Potter deserved to even look at something he, the powerful Lord Voldemort, had once touched.

"Apparently they were married nearly ten years ago," Adrian explained, inching away as Voldemort glared back at the fireplace, his hands curling into fists.  
"Leave, Malfoy," Voldemort hissed, no longer wanting any company. He needn't tell the man twice. The door shut softly within seconds, and once again he was alone.  
"Potter?!" he snarled, slamming his hands against the stone mantel and leaning closer to the heat, "Of all people, little Elodie, you went to _Potter_?!"

For a brief instance, he saw her in the flame, and he had to blink to make her vanish.

Why was he so linked to her?

Suddenly, it dawned on him.

She must still have his ring, his horcrux. The pair would be connected until the ring was destroyed.

For some reason, a bit of him did not want her to let the ring go. He wanted to win something he had lost in the past. Now that he knew Potter had her, there was this new drive to regain his territory.

He did not love her. He wanted her. A trophy to lock up in his room.

_Soon, Tom, soon._

_  
_Yes, yes... Soon.


	2. Of course

"Elodie?"

She glanced back to the door of her office and spotted the department lackey, Charlene, leaning in. She dropped the file she had been looking over and ran a hand through her hair. Both her and Edward had been spending too many days _in_ the office, sorting through witness reports, newspaper clippings, and any other evidence of Voldemort. Everything was just so stressful, since there was a constant flow directors pressing in on the entire investigation.

"Yes?" Elodie murmured, raising an eyebrow. Charlene smiled, "A Mister Lucius Malfoy here for the tour... Should I send him in?"  
"Oh, yes," Elodie replied, suddenly straightening out her desk and tucking her hair back into a ponytail.

When she looked back up, her eyes landed on a tall, young man with vibrant lengthy blonde hair, also tied back, clad in rather stunning green and black robes. She smiled and stepped around the desk, extending her hand, "Mr. Malfoy, pleasure to meet you. My name is Elodie Potter, and I'll be directing your visit around the ministry today."  
"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Potter," he purred, gently gripping her hand and raising it half-way to his mouth, giving her a small nod. She smiled and picked up her notes, then motioned for him to follow her out. She stopped and waved around to the rather sloppy, paper-scattered, desk invaded department she worked in, "As I'm sure you know, this is floor two, and it's the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Do you have any idea what area you're most interested in?"  
"The Department of Mysteries has always been a fascination of mine," Lucius confessed, pulling on a pair of gloves. It was as if he didn't want his skin touching anything. His facial expression when he touched Elodie's was riddled with disgust.

Elodie cleared her throat, "Oh, yes... Well, it is a bit of a popular place, but unfortunately-"  
"You aren't allowed to show me," he chuckled, "I may be young, Ms. Potter, but I am not completely clueless."  
Elodie frowned, "Mr. Malfoy, may I inquire as to why you aren't in school today?"  
"I decided that I wished to take my tour now," he replied, "I have to finalize my future this year... I want to see if I'm suited in the Ministry."

Of course _he_ was allowed to leave school to look at the Ministry. His father, Abraxas Malfoy, was always throwing their fortune around. Sometimes he funded the Ministry, other times there were articles in the Prophet about his generous contributions to Hogwarts.

"Well, what do you have in mind for the future then?" Elodie inquired, looking him up and down. She wondered how a fifteen year old could be taller then her. It was a little unnerving.  
"I guess Magical Transport," he sighed, glancing longingly at the elevator leading toward the Department of Mysteries. Elodie cleared her throat as the proper elevator opened up, and she stood to the side, allowing Lucius to step in before her.

"So do you work here with your husband?" he inquired when the large doors shut. She cocked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"  
"I was wondering if you work here with your husband, Edward Potter?" he repeated, rocking back and forth on his heels. When he noticed her knitted eyebrows, he smirked, "My father mentioned him... I assumed you two were married, since you don't look related."  
"And how do you know what Edward looks like?" she laughed, folding her arms. He shrugged, "He's been in the Prophet before."  
"That was nearly a year ago," she marveled, "You have quite a memory."  
"I do what I can."  
"The school sent me your file," Elodie explained, stepping out of the lift when it came to a stop, "It's very impressive... I recommend coming into my department."  
"Trying to steal away potential workers, Elodie?" Gill, a elderly gray-haired man, inquired, shooting her a grin. He was head of the department, and was incredibly intelligent.  
"I'm sorry Gill," she laughed, "We need more then you do... How many people does it take to regulate broom control?"  
"More then you think," he muttered, somewhat stiffly, and stalked off. Elodie glanced at Lucius, who seemed amused, "They're a little sensitive when it comes to people insulting their work... It's quite serious to them."  
"Maybe I'm not quite... suited here," he snorted, glancing around, "Maybe something else?"  
"Only you can make that choice," Elodie stated, "But we have some pamphlets in the atrium. Maybe you could take them, go back to Hogwarts, then come back. Or, write me a letter, and I can schedule you an appointment in the appropriate department."  
"Yes, that would work better," he agreed, following her to the main lift, "I suppose I have too much work to do at Hogwarts anyway."  
"Perhaps you should have waited for the holiday," Elodie chuckled, pressing button eight for the atrium, "You would have a clearer head."  
"My... father suggested I go in," Lucius said slowly, "It is a weekend, after all... It's not like I have classes."  
"That's true," she admitted, "But... Why come in now? I'm curious... Who cleared this visit?"  
"Weren't you told?" he countered, watching the elevator door close in front of the pair.  
Elodie cleared her throat awkwardly. All she had been told was that Lucius Malfoy was coming in, and needed a tour around the Ministry. She wished she could have been left alone so she could work on her case, however, Edward informed her the Minister had asked her for a favour.

"I was merely told someone needed a tour," she replied tightly, beginning to become annoyed with his quick wit. Lucius raised an eyebrow, "My father said the Minister would see to everything."  
"Well... I suppose he did then," Elodie grumbled, already deciding how she would rant at their head official. She had _work_ to do! Important work!  
"And what about your children?" he inquired after a few moments of silence, "Will they be Ministry officials too?"  
"My little boy currently wants to be the world's best seeker," she laughed, momentarily forgetting to ask him how he knew she had a child, "but I suppose no parent has any right to decide their child's future... He can be what he wants."  
"What's his name?" he pressed, sounding slightly rushed as the lift door opened. Elodie opened her mouth, ready to reply, but frowned, "Why?"  
"Why are you so suspicious?" Lucius laughed, "I'm a curious young man... Is there anything wrong with that?"  
"I'm an auror," Elodie chuckled, leading him through the atrium, "It's my job to have suspicions."

She smiled at the woman behind the main desk, who was currently patching a group of very lost looking Scots up to the Minister's office. Within a few moments, she had snatched up all the pamphlets and brochures retaining to internships and summer job placements, then handed them to Lucius.  
"Have a look through these, then owl me, and I can put you in touch with someone who can help you," she explained, smiling, "Once Ellie is finished, she'll show you out."  
"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," he murmured, nodding politely, "I will send you a letter within the week."  
"Great," she laughed, waving to Ellie through the crowd of angry, red-headed Scots. As she turned to walk off, she paused, "And by the way... His name is James."

*-

_Very sly, Tom, very sly._

_  
_Oh, he was very sly. He knew.

He paced in front of his fireplace, staring into the red flames, then flicking his wand, changing the heat to green. The colour was just _so_ much more appealing.

"My lord?" Adrian Malfoy called, knocking on his open door, "My brother and his boy are here."  
"Send the whelp in," Voldemort snarled, "I didn't ask for his father."  
"Of course, my lord," Adrian murmured softly, "Lucius... Get in."  
Voldemort heard the shuffling of expensive boots, then the sound of a young man being shoved in, then the delicate whoosh of a door shutting.

_Frightened boy, Tom, frightened boy._

Oh, he knew. He could practically smell Lucius Malfoy's fright. It was wonderful.

"Did you do as I asked?" he hissed, keeping his back to the teen. He barely had to wait a moment for Lucius to begin speaking, "Yes, my lord, I would not disappoint you."  
"And?" His patience was growing thin.  
"It's true," Lucius explained weakly, "She's married to Edward Potter, and they have one child named James."  
Voldemort's eye twitched, "Oh really?"  
"Currently she is working with Potter as the heads of a team that... uh..." he paused and Voldemort's lip curled. He whipped back to the young man, a bit of brown hair falling into his eye.

_Ignore the hair, Tom, ignore the hair._

He flicked it aside, "Go on, _Lucius_."  
The young man shook visibly when he spoke his name, and he gulped, "They're working on a case against you, Master."  
"Oh really?" he inquired again, his anger slowly melting away, "Against me, eh?"  
"Yes, my lord."

It was a rhetorical question. It didn't need to be answered. Idiot boy.

"What did you think of her?" Voldemort asked, folding his hands neatly in front of his body, cocking an eyebrow. Lucius cleared his throat awkwardly, "My lord?"  
"I believe I was speaking English, Malfoy," Voldemort chuckled, enjoying the uncomfortable look passing across Lucius's face.  
"She's... uh... nice," Lucius finally stammered.

_Nervous boy, Tom, nervous boy._

_  
_"Was she attractive?"  
Lucius began shifting nervously, "I... I don't think I have any right to say."  
"You're a man, Lucius," Voldemort mused, "Was she attractive?"  
"I guess..." Lucius said softly, "She looks young."

Perhaps having a child had not changed her. Oh, this was just better then he had expected.

"You've done well, Malfoy," he chuckled, smiling as the boy knelt down in front of him, "And your family will be well rewarded for it. Now... Return to Hogwarts before that Dumbledore notices you've been gone longer then planned."  
"Yes, yes of course, thank you," he stammered, standing quickly and bowing once more, then sweeping out of the room, leaving the door open as Voldemort watched him.

She had a son? James. What a horrible name.  
He rolled his eyes. It sounded so... so... Gryffindor. Brave and bold and just... Ugh.

Voldemort sat stiffly on his leather chair, stroking his chin. So she was out to find him, was she?  
Somehow this seemed to work out wonderfully for him.

"Well?" Julian voiced from the door, "Are we to continue?"  
"Yes," Voldemort snapped, shooting him a glare, "Leave me be, and wait for my orders."  
"Yes, of course."


	3. Grin

"Right... We know his central targets, recently, have been Ministry officials, and several Muggles just outside of Liverpool. We can only conclude he's somewhere between here and Liverpool, which will narrow the search radius."

Elodie watched Edward hand out booklets of the individual assignments to their team, and she smiled at each as they passed her on their way out. The meeting had been somewhat successful, but there was no real progress since the last time they had come together.

"Night, Elodie," one called, "Get some sleep, love."  
"Will do, Frank," she replied, waving him off as he left the room. When it was finally her and Edward, she watched his commanding persona fall as he slumped down into a chair, rubbing his face, "This is going _nowhere_."  
"He's a difficult man to track," Elodie grumbled, slamming her binder shut and pushing it away, "Our team isn't big enough to keep tabs on all of his Death Eaters... We need to push for more people."  
"We're already using the entire department," Edward sighed, "And when we can't show any new results, people are going to be taken off."  
"This is madness, and you know it," Elodie said softly, moving a few chairs down to be closer to him, "Edward... We're going to lose this assignment!"  
"We're the only one's capable of doing it," he argued, placing a gentle hand on her leg, "I promise... We won't lose it."  
"Don't you all look doom and gloom."

Elodie glanced up and spotted Hirman Weasley leaning in to the room, his usual messy red hair trailing over his face. Edward smiled at his friend and rose, "You're here late, old friend... Muggle affairs keeping you busy."  
"Oh, but it's no problem to me!" Hirman exclaimed, sliding into the room and taking a seat at the chair across from the couple, "We're working on something today, a Muggle device! It's called a Pistol, formally, but the slang for it is a gun."  
Elodie frowned, "A ... gun? How odd sounding."  
"I disagree," Hirman interjected, "I think they are fascinating... Would you like to see one?"  
"Why not," Edward droned, shooting Elodie a smile, "We aren't getting any further on our case."  
"Pity," Hirman condoned briefly, pulling our a metal weapon from his pocket, then placing it on the table, "That is why I personally prefer working with Muggles."  
Edward reached forward and dragged the weapon toward him, his eyes traveling over it quickly. Elodie raised an eyebrow, "What does it do, Hirman?"  
"Oh, well you see," Hirman began, his chest swelling with pride, "It shoots little lead bullets... Dead useful. ... You get it? Dead useful? Dead? Aha ha ha ha!"

Elodie snorted, but unfortunately could not share the same sense of humour. However, as always, she was amused around Hirman.

"So do these lead things hurt when you get hit with them?" Edward inquired, cocking the small hand gun and holding it up, aiming it at the wall. Before Hirman could answer, he had fired it, causing a loud bang to erupt from the end of the gun, a scream to be ripped from Elodie's lips, and a small, round hole to suddenly appear in the wall.

"It can be fatal," Hirman replied weakly, pulling the gun from Edward's limp fingers. Edward stared at the wall for a moment, then grinned, "That's brilliant."  
"It's barbaric!" Elodie exploded, "You better be leaving that here if you intend on ever coming over to our place for dinner again, Hirman Weasley!"  
"Oh, Elodie," Edward chuckled, "It's not like we'd show James or anything."  
"Somehow I don't trust you... Either of you."

Hirman chuckled and the pair exchanged mischievous looks.

"What in Salazar's name is going on down here?!" Gill Griss, the department head of Magical Transportation, boomed, glaring at the trio, "Why is there a hole in the wall?"  
"Oh, hello Gill," Elodie greeted, smiling at him, "You're here late."  
"You aren't the only one that has important work to do," he replied, "Now, why is there a hole in the wall?"

Elodie had always liked Gill. There was just this quirky sense about him that she found interesting. He had a very odd fascination with insects, and was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge.

"Ed fired off a Muggle gun," Hirman chuckled, rolling his eyes, "Gave us all a bit of a fright. But, not to worry... We've got everything under control."  
"The Minister will want to know why you've got that outside of your zone, you know," Gill stated, taking a seat beside Hirman and taking the gun into his hands, "Muggles are so intelligent... It's a mere wonder why we don't work well with them."  
"Some people just think they aren't good enough," Edward answered, rolling his eyes, "It's pathetic."

A silence settled over the group as each man went off into thought. Elodie glanced at the clock, realizing it was nearly nine-thirty, and she had told the babysitter she would be back by nine.

"How about we all head off for a round of drinks at our place?" she suggested, standing up and throwing her brown cloak on over her shoulders, "We need to get back to James."  
"I'll take you up on that," Hirman chuckled, rising and taking the gun back, slipping it into his pocket, "Griss? You up for a round?"  
"Well-"  
"Come on, you workaholic," Edward laughed, tucking in his and Elodie's chair, "Just a round."

Elodie grinned when he finally accepted, and the four apparated home without further delay.  
When Elodie was finally standing in front of her house, her heart nearly failed her. There, in a shimmering green, stood the Dark Mark swirling above her house, the large snake slithering through the skull.

"Oh my God..." Elodie whimpered, "They're here... James!"  
She took off toward the front door, but before she could get too far, Edward had grabbed her arm and yanked her back, "Don't be stupid, Elodie! We're aurors... Use your head! You can't just rush in to a house with the Mark above it! They could either be in there, or gone... We can only hope for the second."  
"James had a Muggle babysitter!" she shrieked, "There is no hope for her, no matter what happened! My baby is in there-"  
"Shh," Gill hushed, pushing the group into a small clump of trees and bush, "They could have been watching! Honestly... It's great to see what you two do in the face of danger! We need to think this through."  
"My boy is inside," Elodie whispered, gripping Edward's hand tightly, "If something happened..."  
"Elodie, breathe," Hirman ordered, his voice sounding strong and authoritative, "Edward... How many ways into the house are there? We have the front and back doors. We have the side door to the garden. We have the windows in the kitchen... Did you lock them?"  
"No," Elodie replied quickly, "We kept them open... We needed a draft in the house. Warm afternoon."

"Good... There's four ways for us to get in," Gill murmured, "We need to move with stealth, and we need to move along at different times. If someone was watching, they knew we're here."  
"Should we alert anyone?" Edward muttered. Elodie shook her head, "Four is better then three."  
"Now you're thinking clearly," Gill praised, "I need something where I don't have to climb."  
"I'll go in through the windows," Edward volunteered, "I know where the flower pots are."  
"I'll take the back door then," Hirman muttered, "Gill, take the front."  
"I'll take the front," Elodie argued, "My child is in there... I'll go in first. They look kinder upon women."  
"Since when?!" Edward hissed, refusing to let loose her hand, "Elodie, don't be daft."  
"I'm doing my job, and then some," she growled, "Gill, you follow me, then Edward, then Hirman... Understood?"  
"Elodie, love-"

Elodie ignored Edward and pushed free from his grasp, retrieving her wand strolling forcefully toward the house. If anyone was watching, she didn't care. They would have already known she was there, and there was no point in hiding it anymore. She found no surprise when she noted the door was unlocked, and she squared her shoulders, ready to kill anyone who threatened her, or her James.

"James?" she called out, hoping her voice would not shake. She had not had many huge confrontations with Death Eaters, since Edward usually delegated for her to remain behind, and out of trouble. She knew he was being protective, but enough! She was old enough, by now, to look after herself.  
"James... Sweetie?" she called once more, spinning around a corner, her wand drawn. To her shock, the babysitter lay on the couch, her hands bound and her mouth gagged. She let out a scream and began to wiggle. Elodie bit her lip, hoping she had time to get the young girl out, then hurried in, flicking her wand at the ropes. In an instant, they vanished.

"What the Hell are they?!" she screeched, "What's going on?! They've got James!"  
"Get out of here," Elodie whispered, keeping her voice as steady as she could, "Get out of here, and never tell anyone, understood?"

She needn't be told twice, and quick as a flash, she was out the door.

Someone chuckled behind her, and Elodie whipped around, glaring at the robed figure in the doorway. She raised her wand, "Can I help you?"  
"You can lower the wand," the male laughed, "There are more of us."  
"That really doesn't bother me," she hissed, "Where's my son?"  
"The boy? Oh... He's fine..."  
"That didn't answer my question," Elodie snarled. Her eyes widened as he stepped aside, allowing more Death Eaters to file into the room, their faces hidden by skull-like masks. Their lips could be seen, yet all were curved into cruel sneers.  
There was no point in starting a fight. She was quickly outnumbered, and all she could do was hope the other three would burst in to come to her aid.

"My son?" she repeated, "Where is he?"  
"Here's the whelp," another voice, oddly familiar, snickered, shoving James onto the floor as the robed man entered the room.  
"Mummy!"  
"Come here, James," she urged, swiftly scooping him up in her arms when he ran to her. Elodie was tempted to check for any injuries, but all she could do was hold him tightly.  
"How sweet," the Death Eater, the same who had brought James in, snorted, folding his arms and twirling his wand between two fingers.  
"Did they hurt you?" Elodie whispered, setting James down and kneeling in front of him, checking him over. He shook his head, "N-No... I broke that one's nose though."  
Elodie glanced at a Death Eater near the back of the crowd, his hand clutched over his face. She grinned, "Good boy."

She scrambled to her feet, ushering the small boy behind her and raising her wand to chest level, "What do you want?!"

One grinned cruelly.


	4. Mind

"Mum?" James whispered, his small fingers knotting into the back of Elodie's shirt, "Why are they here?"  
"I don't know," she replied, her eyes traveling over the men in her house, "Go into the kitchen."  
"He can stay here," a Death Eater barked, pointing his wand at James as her son made a move for the kitchen. Elodie pulled him back behind her, keeping her wand raised challengingly. Several chuckled around her, and she raised an eyebrow, "So have you all actually come here for something? Or just wanted to have a night out?"

Again they were silent, and Elodie's arm began to shake from holding it up for so long.

"Where are the others?"  
"What others?" she snarled, her eyes flashing dangerously. The Death Eater closest to her laughed, his voice cold and distant, "The three other men that apparated in with you... The ones who went off into the trees to plot. Where are they now? Run away?"  
He paused, then flicked his wand at her, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Her wand was instantly ripped from her hand, and it sailed across the room, her eyes following it as it bounced along the wood floor. She cursed loudly in her head, wishing she had been more prepared for some sort of attack. And now she was weaponless...  
Her mind raced, and she poked James in the chest, her hands behind her back, then pointed to the fire poker. With the quick reflexes his father always bragged about, James lashed out, yanked the fire poker out of the canister, and handed it to Elodie.

It was useless against a wand, but at least she had _something_.

A smaller Death Eater received a nod, and he moved across the room toward Elodie, his hand out-stretched, ready to rip the metal object away. When he was close enough, Elodie swung at him with all her might, slamming the poker into his head, and knocking him out.

"Whoa, mum," James praised, smirking. She shot him a grin and held up her new weapon, daring anyone else to come close.  
"Well, well, well," her nearest Death Eater chuckled, "Kitten's got claws."

Elodie's hand faltered for a moment, and her eyes locked through the skull mask of the Death Eater. That voice. How he said Kitten. It sounded like... No.  
There was suddenly a great commotion from three spots in the house, and Elodie groaned. She hadn't expected there to be this many Death Eaters, and she had a feeling her three rescuers had been caught, same as she.

"Dad!"  
"Ah, look here men, our brave Edward Potter seems rather beside himself," her 'Kitten' Death Eater snorted, stepping aside and watching as Edward, Gill and Hirman were tossed in, their wands in the hands of their captors.  
Normally, if there had only been a few of the enemy, a confrontation would have been easy. However, there were just so many Death Eaters, it would have been suicide.

"You all right?" she inquired, helping Gill to his feet. He was in shape, but clearly having a little trouble with all the rough handling he was getting. He brushed her off and pulled James closer between him and Edward, probably thinking it was the best place for the boy. She agreed, but it was still annoying to have her child taken.

"Silent as ever," a Death Eater laughed, "What's the matter... Cat got your tongue? We're just Death Eaters... You'd think professional aurors would be used to us!"

Now _that_ voice was completely familiar. Edward clued in around the same time as Elodie and Hirman, and he glared, "Get out of my house, Adrian Malfoy, or I swear-"  
"You'll do what, Potter?" Adrian laughed coldly, "Throw me out?"  
"He won't be doing it alone," Hirman snapped, stepping up with Edward. Adrian snorted, "So the little Weasley mouse will help... Really? Come now, there are nearly six of us to the one of you."  
"If you're going to kill us, just get it over with," Gill stated loudly, resting his hands on James's shoulders, "Because this is really just a waste of time."  
"An old man wishes for death so quickly," the Death Eater beside Elodie cooed, "We're not here to kill you."  
"Then why are you here?" Elodie demanded, staring into his eyes once again. They were green.

No.

"Yes," he whispered, taking a step closer, "You remember, don't you?"  
"Who are you?" she spat, countering his step by moving backwards. He smiled, "Why don't you answer... You already seem to know."  
"Get away from my wife!" Edward snarled, stepping towards Elodie. However, a pair of Death Eaters stepped forward and restrained him. He struggled, naturally, and another stepped in to help. Hirman took the hint and grabbed Elodie, holding her behind him. The Death Eater removed his wand and flung a silent curse at him, sending him hurling across the room and into the hands of more Death Eaters, keeping his unconscious body in place.

"Leave him alone," Elodie pleaded. She couldn't believe this was happening. She, an auror! Her husband - the leader of their team! And here they were, at the mercy of a crew of Voldemort's followers.

"Allow me to introduce myself then," the man laughed, stepping back and removing his mask. He bowed low, shielding his face, "They call me He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name, and You-Know-Who. I, however, prefer Lord Voldemort."

Elodie shook with a hint of fright, and each of the men flinched at the name. Not as much as a normal wizard would, but they still flinched.

But here he was! The man they were trying to kill! To capture! Track down! And they were helpless.

His head rose, and she finally caught a look at him. Her eyes widened, and he grinned, "But I think you know me as Tom Riddle."  
"No..." Elodie breathed, her knees nearly giving out beneath her. Edward grunted from behind her, "Tom Riddle?! I should have killed you back in school you piece of filth!"

Edward writhed to the floor as a multitude of _Crucio!_ curses were launched his way. Elodie bit her lip with concern and went to help him, but Tom, or Voldemort, whatever he was calling himself, grasped her arm and dragged her back, shoving her into the wall. She squealed softly and immediately began to struggle, digging her nails into his hands and trying to get him to release her.

What was she doing?! This was _The_ Lord Voldemort! The one who had brought pain, and chaos, to the Ministry for years now!

But... But he was Tom Riddle. The very person who had fascinated her life for years.

Not anymore. She had Edward now, and she loved him, very, very much.

"Let me go," she growled, releasing a soft gasp when he pushed harder against her, "What do you want?"  
"You and I need to talk in private," he stated. She glared, "I have nothing to say to you."  
He grinned, then pulled her away from the wall and tossed her to a pair of Death Eaters, "Check for anything concealed. And you're lucky, Mrs. Potter, because all you'll need to do is listen."

Hands ran over her arms and legs, causing her to struggle against her captors. Edward let out an angry yell from the floor as hands skimmed her behind and chest.

"She's clean," the Death Eater concluded, gripping her arm painfully. Tom... Voldemort smirked, "Good. Come, Mrs. Potter, show me somewhere private."  
James suddenly pushed free from Gill and launched himself at Voldemort, kicking his shins, "Leave her alone! Leave her alone!"  
"James!" Elodie gasped, ripping away from the pair holding her, then dragging James away before Voldemort could hit him with a curse.  
"They're hurting you," James whispered as she led him back to Gill. The wizard placed his hands back on James's shoulders, this time a little more firmly. Elodie nodded, "Yes, yes they are... But they're going to hurt you if you do anything stupid, ok? Do everything your father tells you."  
"Yes, mum."  
"Tick tock, Mrs. Potter," Voldemort murmured, poking her with his foot. A few of his followers laughed and his face literally shone with smugness. She rose and folded her shirt down, trying to keep some dignity, "There's a back storage room... Will that do?"  
"Of course," he said dramatically, "Lead the way."

Elodie met Edward's eyes, and he shook his head, but she ignored him. The Death Eaters moved to the side, allowing her to walk through with Voldemort close at her heels. His soft boots barely made a sound on the hardwood floor, and there were several times she was tempted to look back to see if he was still there.

The storage room was supposed to be a room for a maid, but the family never really needed one, since they used magic to clean, so the small room was virtually empty. She opened the wooden door forcefully and stepped in, turning to face him. He closed the door, his face blank, and used his wand to dim the light.

"Why are you here?" she inquired, her voice strong and even. He raised an eyebrow, "I thought you didn't have anything to say? It's not polite to lie."  
"How dare you," she seethed, "How dare you?! Coming into my house, harassing my child!"  
"I can do what I please," he laughed, pointing his wand at her, "And if you insist on ranting, I will just have to silence you."  
She bit her tongue, glaring fiercely at him. He chuckled, "How bold you've gotten... I want to break you all over again."  
"Keep away from me," she growled, stepping back away from him when he inched toward her, "I assume you brought me here for a reason?"  
"Of course," he replied, grinning, "I have a proposal for you."  
"I don't want to hear it."  
"I'll kill them if you won't hear me out," he hissed, sliding his wand between two fingers, "Now be silent and listen."

"Tom-"  
"Hush," he chuckled, stepping toward her and finally closing the space between them. Her heart began to panic. She was trapped. Trapped between a wall and a snake.  
"Get away from me!" she groaned, pushing against his chest. He clutched her hands and held them together, "Come away with me."  
She went limp, her jaw dropping, "W-What?"  
"Ah, my stutter," he laughed, "I need you. Together, we can control this whole wizarding world. My followers have intelligence, but nothing compared to you. Come with me, and I can give you everything you've ever desired."  
"I have everything," she remarked quickly, "My job is to arrest you... And you always seem to slip away."

He snorted and finally released her, stepping back. He had aged, naturally, but there was such an eerie presence surrounding his entire being that she began to shake again.

"You call this everything?" he snapped, motioning to the small, empty room, "This is nothing!"  
"Life doesn't revolve around pushing for things you can't achieve!" she argued, "I'm happy with my life! I love my son, and I love my husband!"  
"I can't understand why you went for Potter," he chuckled, "Potter is pathetic."  
"He's more then you'll ever be," she hissed, "So much more."  
He merely smiled, "So you refuse?"  
"Yes," she muttered. Voldemort turned away from her, "Then I want you to fetch me the ring I gave you."  
"Fine," Elodie grumbled, "It's nothing but bad memories."  
"Somehow I doubt that," Voldemort purred, his eyes sweeping over her as she led him out of the storage room, and up a narrow flight of stairs. The Death Eaters were talking loudly amongst themselves in the living room, sometimes sending a sneer out at Edward and Gill.  
Elodie stopped on the staircase, listening to a curse being laughed out at her Edward. She turned, only to find Voldemort was blocking her way down the stairs.

"What's the matter, Mrs. Potter?" Voldemort inquired, smiling when a cry echoed from the living room. Her eyes widened, "James!"  
Desperately, she tried to find a way around him, but with one arm clamped on the railing and the other pressed against the wall, he made it impossible.  
"Please," she whispered, "Don't let them hurt him!"  
"There are four hims downstairs," he murmured, stepping up a stair toward her, his nose nudging up into hers. She scowled and continued up the stairway, moving quickly through the upper-level and into her room, going straight for her jewelry box on the dresser. She had always kept his ring, beneath everything else. For some reason, she could not bring herself to get rid of it.

"Here," she drawled, holding up the plain ring, "Don't see why you want it."  
"Hold onto it for now," he murmured, reaching for her hand and holding it painfully, practically dragging her out of the room and down the stairs, back into the living room.  
"My dear, dear followers," Voldemort began, grinning wolfishly, "She declined."

There was a chorus of 'What a pity!' and 'Silly girl!' that began to make Elodie feel uneasy. She tried to use her free hand to claw away at his as it gripped her other hand, cutting off the blood circulation to her fingers.

"Now, we have a lovely spell for her, don't we," Voldemort continued, pulling her in front of him and resting his wand under her chin.  
Hirman was back on his feet, and it took four Death Eaters to restrain both him and Edward. Gill, however, seemed much more focused on keeping James out of everything, and from getting hurt.

"T-Tom," Elodie stuttered, wincing when he pulled her hand tighter back behind her body. He smiled, his usual charming smile, "Not Tom. Not anymore. Not even for you."  
"Let her go! Or I will personally mark your death," Edward spat, struggling even more harshly then before.

Elodie felt the cold wood of his wand pressing into her throat and she gulped, looking longingly at James. She didn't want to see her end like this. This was a pathetic way of dying.  
Voldemort pressed his mouth to her ear, "Doesn't he look so much like his dear, Gryffindor father? Tsk. What a waste."  
Elodie thrashed against him, hating the way he felt against her. He felt foreign; not her comfortable Edward anymore.

"You'll thank me later," he laughed. She glanced at him and noted he was looking directly at Edward as he laughed, "Say goodbye Elodie... _Obliviate_."

*-

"No!"

The sound of pain riddled in Potter's voice was delicious, and as Elodie's body fell limp in his arms, he watched Potter's face contort with rage.

_All for you, Tom, all for you._

Yes, everything was aimed at him. He knew it.

The other aurors in the room seemed in disbelief and shock.  
They should. The powerful Lord Voldemort attacks, and all he does is cast a simple second year spell. However, that was the only spell that was needed.

Now she would forget, and he could mold her.

_She's all for you, Tom, she's all for you._

He and his closest servants had worked out a plan. There was a way to manipulate the curse to only make her forget a few select things. Voldemort would take her back and work on her memories, making sure her intelligence does not go to waste.

However, if this doesn't work, he'll just dispose of her. Or use her for other uses...

The possibilities were endless!

He grinned.

"Hold her," he grumbled, handing Elodie's body to Adrian's arms. Quickly, he ripped off her wedding ring and replaced it with his own ring. Sneering at Edward, he tossed the larger ring to the wizard, "Can't have anything that will help her memory come back, can we?"  
"You... You fucking-"

A servant silenced him, and Voldemort smiled, "I'm leaving now... But, have some fun with them. Leave the whelp be though."  
For some odd reason, he didn't want to boy hurt. There was some sort of attachment to him that Voldemort wanted. Perhaps, when the boy was old enough, he would come serve Voldemort.

Oh, glory! That would just kill Edward.

"You're only doing this because _she_ rejected you," Edward snarled, "You're ruining a woman's life over something idiotic!"  
"Fool," Voldemort snorted, "I don't care whether she left me or not... She's with me now, isn't she?"

_Watch him fall, Tom, watch him fall._

No. He was done here.

He retrieved Elodie from Adrian and hoisted her up, nodding to his men before apparating away, the screams of Edward Potter fresh in his ears.

When he arrived back in his chambers, he set her down on the bed. His eyes adjusted to the darkness faster then normal, and he pulled his wand out of pocket, tapping it against his chin and thinking.

What should she wear?

Something matching to him, something that would show they were married. The pale blue dress she was in now was just _so_ distasteful, not to mention common.  
His robes were fine silk, for the first time he could afford it. Deep greens, black and white were among his usual tones. Elodie, however, seemed suited for dark blues and red, maybe a purple?

Decisions decisions.

He placed his wand on her stomach and murmured a transfiguring spell softly, watching her dress mold into something different. The cotton dress changed into a smooth silk, lengthy red dress. He grinned; how ironic for her darling Gryffindor Potter.

He lowered the neckline to a modest level, revealing only as much as he wanted, and removed the sleeves, replacing them with thin straps.

His rule of no shoes on the bed still stayed strong, and he banished them away.

_And now to her mind, Tom, and now to her mind._

Yes, and now to her mind.


	5. Better

Softness.

It was the first feeling she felt upon regaining her consciousness.

She was a she, right?

A quick body check approved her suspicions, and she sat up quickly.

Where was she?! Who was she?

Her mind began to run through a series of questions and her breathing increased. Placing a slim hand on her head, she gazed around the dim room, taking in every feature.  
The bed was large enough for two people, and was wrapped in layers of thin sheets, most in a dark green.

Why did green remind her of snakes? How odd.

Moving her eyes around the room, she found a desk near a glass door. It was too dark still to see outside, but she could make out faint features of trees swaying calmly in a breeze.  
Books made small towers on the deep-toned, wooden desk, creating little cities of knowledge along the surface.  
There was a sudden crack, causing her to jump and her attention was brought to a dying fire, the last bits of uncharred wood begging to be set free. A pair of black, leather chairs were seated in front of the mantel, a small table between them.

She still had no idea where in the wide world she was. What was she? A wife? A daughter? A prisoner?

Panic set in once again, and she found tears of fear and frustration seeping down her cheeks.

"Oh, you're awake."

She flinched as the deep, rich male voice floated down to her, and her head whipped to a now open door. However, it was difficult to make out the figure, and she released a whimper, inching away as he stepped into the room and shut the door, "Who are you? Who am I? Where am I!?"  
"Shh," he cooed, "You've lost your memory... Try to relax.

"  
Relax? How could she relax?!

Timidly, she looked the man over, from head to toe. His hair was a deep brown, and slightly shaggy. A wild presence reigned over it. Pale skin stood out amongst his dark clothes, and a long sort of coat hung over his shoulders, a patch with some sort of snake on it.  
The bed dipped as he sat down, and she moved away from his hand as he brought it up to her face, just managing to swipe a few tears away.

"Love," he chuckled, "It's alright."  
"W-Who are you?" she whispered, frowning as he smiled, "And who am I?"  
"You are Elodie Riddle," he explained, "My wife."

Riddle? Riddle didn't sound right. No alarms were going off in her head, except ones of mistrust.

"Please," he murmured, a hand resting on her leg, "You must trust me."  
"And... And who are you?" she inquired once again, pulling her leg away from him. He sighed, "They have many names for me... I prefer Voldemort. Now, there is a lot I need to tell you, so do not ask anything else until I've finished, understood?"

There was a sense of impatience in his voice, with ran parallel with something else, something she couldn't make out.

"Yes," she replied slowly, her eyes locking on him as he removed something from his robe. A long... stick? With a swish, the room was lit up with countless candles.  
"I know that," she stated, forgetting she had agreed to stay silent, "That... That's a wand! You're a wizard!"  
"Good girl," he praised, his voice rolling in the back of his throat, "See... You can remember. You're a witch, and you've studied at a school. Do you know the name?"

A school? Yes, something was working in her mind. There was an image of a castle, surrounded by deep green forests, next to a dark lake.

"I can see a castle," she muttered, "I don't recall a name."  
"Hogwarts," he said lightly, "We both attended it, and were in the same house, Slytherin."  
"The animal is a snake, isn't it?" she added, "And the colour is green."  
His smile turned slightly feral, "Excellent... Good girl. You see, this can be easy."  
"And there were three other houses," she continued, images flooding into her mind, "Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw."  
"Yes, yes," he laughed, making himself more comfortable on the bed, "What else do you remember?"  
"The name Tom," she replied, frowning, "And the name Edward."  
"Tom is, unfortunately, dead," Voldemort stated, exhaling slowly, "And Edward... You want nothing to do with Edward."  
"Why?" she asked. Something told her Edward was wonderful. She quite liked the name.  
"He was cruel to you in school," Voldemort explained, "He had an obsession with you."  
"Really?" she murmured, her eyes widening, "How strange... Why would anyone be obsessed with me?"  
"You're very beautiful," he stated formally, smirking slightly, "I can see why he wanted you so badly."

"Oh," she flushed, looking away, a small smile on her lips, "Oh, well... Thank you."  
"No need to be shy," he laughed, "We're married, after all... I'm sure I can pay you compliments."

Married. Yes, a bell went off. She was married. Finally things were clicking in, but she still could not remember one little thing about anyone named Voldemort.

"What do I do for a living?" she inquired, "Do I work?"  
"You never need to," he chuckled, his hand returning to her leg as he moved a little closer, "I take care of you."

She wanted to push him away, but if he was her husband, why should she?

"Oh," was all she could muster, "What do you do then?"  
He grinned, "So many things... I'm a Lord, you know?"  
"You are?" she asked in awe, "A Lord of what?"  
"Of a revolution, my dearest," he answered, his eyes sparkling, "Of another side of this wizarding world, one that lives for the old standards. One that puts blood purity above all things. Those idiots at the Ministry have been trying to stop me for years... And there are Muggles, non-magic people, roaming freely everywhere. It's disgusting."

He seemed very into his speech, and when he was finished, she wasn't quite sure what to say. How would one reply to all that?

"Ah..." she forced out, "I see. And... And we don't like Muggles?"  
"No, no we don't, we hate them," he confirmed, "My men make a special effort to see they are ... taken care of."  
"Do you have a lot of followers?" she asked, suddenly becoming interested in what their life was like. None of this was working for her. Nothing went off in her head, like Edward and the Hogwarts houses. Something was just... off.

"We have many."  
"We?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. A hand came to rest on hers and she released a small gasp. She hadn't noticed him getting so close. His spare hand reached up and moved some hair out of her face, "Elodie... Of course we. The men serve us both. Naturally I'm a higher rank then you are, but I suppose that goes without saying."

"O-Of course," she muttered, pulling her hand away from his and clearing her throat, "Is there a mirror here... I want to see what I look like."  
"You don't recall anything?" he asked, sliding off the bed. Elodie shook her head, "I haven't the faintest idea, actually."  
"Well, come have a look then," he insisted, drawing back a curtain which hung loosely over a floor length mirror. It took her a moment to remember how to move again, but within moments she was on her feet, standing in front of the mirror.  
Her hair was in large ringlets, though a little sloppy (no doubt from sleeping) and long. Her eyes were somewhat brown, though oddly light. They clashed horribly with her hair.  
Her hips were curved, and there was a hint of cleavage showing near the neck-line of her dress, which she did not like whatsoever.

All in all, she was pleased.

*-

Edward gazed at an empty conference room. There were papers scattered across the table, and used coffee mugs waiting for someone to throw away.

His Elodie was gone.

The entire department had spent nearly three hours dividing into search groups for her, while also going over any information he could give them from the night before.  
He was blunt. All he could remember was Voldemort taking his wife, and the Death Eaters inflicting a lot of pain. Not exactly helpful when it came to the investigation.  
The Minster offered a sincere apology, and had his best men out looking for her, but an apology would not bring Elodie back.  
James was nearly as inconsolable as he was, and it was brutal to sit in silence at the breakfast table that morning.

It was hard to live with himself. He, the head of a team of _aurors_ couldn't even protect his family. Now what? They couldn't locate the Dark Lord before this date, and while the teams were working so much harder for him now, there was still little hope they could find Elodie.

"Edward."

He looked up, his eyes landing on Gill Griss in the doorway. With a weak smile, he motioned for the man to have a seat. Gill frowned, "Sulking won't do much."  
"I'm not sulking," Edward snapped, harsher then he meant to, "I just... miss her, that's all."  
"Why aren't you on a search?" Gill inquired, finally sitting in the chair across the table from him. Edward sighed, "The Minister thought it would be best that I stay out of it... Since I will 'do more harm then good' apparently."  
"Oh really?" Gill laughed, folding his hands in front of him, "He's a foolish man then, isn't he?"  
"What good can I do?" Edward muttered, drawing random shapes on the top of the wood table with his fingers, "I'm too stressed to think clearly."  
"You have me, don't you?" Gill stated, leaning back in his chair, "I'm willing to help."

Oh, what a laugh. He liked Gill, but there was no need for magical transportation to be involved.  
Edward shot him a skeptical eye. Gill, however, remained dead serious, "I am going to help you... I have a Muggle friend who works in investigations, and I've learned a thing or two about it."

"Muggle investigations-"

"Are complex and effective," Gill said curtly, "Now... Do you want my help, or not?"

*-

_Like a sponge, Tom, like a sponge._

Yes, she was like a sponge. She just soaked up all the information he had given her, and she believed it all!

It had taken him nearly four hours, but Voldemort had removed bits and pieces from her mind, while managing to keep in more important things; like the education she received at Hogwarts.  
It would have been rather stupid to get rid of that.  
She was different, however. More straight forward, and her voice was not as soft as it had been. Perhaps it was the same as before, who knows. Voldemort hadn't seen her, or heard her, in years.  
Her physical appeal did not change, and he still found himself staring at certain areas of her body. Now he could leer however much he pleased, since she thought they were married and wouldn't object.

Hopefully.

Not that it would really _matter_.

He'd leer as much as he damn well pleased.

"So?" he whispered, stepping up behind her and snaking his arms around her stomach, "Do you agree with me?"  
"On what?" she fired back, glancing down at his hands. Voldemort planted a faint kiss on her neck, "That you're very lovely."  
"Oh."

_Blushing bride, Tom, blushing bride._

Was she ever. Some things had stayed the same, it seemed.  
"I suppose I look fine," she managed to say, tucking some hair behind her ears, "I don't really know who to compare myself to."  
"You'll find mostly men dropping into our home," Voldemort chuckled truthfully, "Women are more refined, I suppose, and very few wish to join the ranks."  
"Oh."

Her hands ran over his arms and they came to rest atop his own, "Something doesn't feel right."  
Oh bloody Hell. Women always find something to pick at. He ground his teeth together and forced a smile, "Everything may seem new, for the time being. Soon, it will be back to normal, I promise."  
His right hand pulled out from under hers, and his left held them together, causing her to struggle slightly. Voldemort pushed her chin toward him and ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek, enjoying how soft it felt. It had been a long time since he had had such intimate human contact.

_Kiss her, Tom, kiss her._

He glared up at his forehead. He was _going_ to, if someone would just be quiet!

With agonizing slowness he brought his lips closer to hers, but at the last moment, she turned away, giving her soft pink lips a lick.  
He released an annoyed sigh, and was tempted to just wrench her head back to him and finish what he had started.

"I want to see the house," she informed him, "Could you give me a tour? Maybe something I see will bring back my memory."

Maybe it was too soon. But how long was he supposed to wait?! This was getting to be more frustrating then he had hoped. His original plan involved her swooning over him instantly, but _that_ didn't seem to be working.  
Gods, now he would have to just wing it, and hope she still liked him.  
Of course she would like him.  
He _was_ Lord Voldemort, after all. The silly chit would be beyond idiotic if she didn't fall for him. Again.

He grinned, "Of course, dearest... Come."

He grabbed her hand, somewhat forcefully, and he caught a tinge of colour on her cheeks.  
Oh my. So she still enjoyed him being forceful. Well, this just made everything better.


	6. Control

"You never told me your name," Elodie stated as he led her down a small hallway. He glanced back and grinned, "I did, love. Voldemort, remember?"  
"Voldemort Riddle?" she inquired. He shook his head, "Just Voldemort. Riddle was my father's name... We don't exactly connect."  
"So no family dinners I guess," she chuckled, following him down a staircase.

So far, she could stand the house. There were a few scenic paintings on the walls, hard-wood and stone floors, and very large windows. When she took the time to look out, she spotted trees among trees, and many large boulders along the property line.

"You're all I need," he informed her, shooting her a charming smile.

From what she had seen so far, there was only one room on the upper floor of the house, and it was the one she had woken up in. When they made it to the lower level, she discovered there was a small sitting room, full of bookcases and leather couches and a kitchen with ivory counter tops and silver faucets. In short, the house was relatively small, mainly because he had not shown her the basement yet. He said it would be best to wait for another day, whatever that meant.

"My lord," a male voice called as they began to head back upstairs. Voldemort stopped, his arm circling her hips and pulling him close to her, "Yes, Malfoy... What do you want?"  
Elodie's eyes fell upon a pair of men, both robed in black cloaks. One had pale blonde hair, which was short and spiky around his ears. The other, it seemed, was the complete contrast with long black hair, and his stride was somewhat less arrogant.

"We were curious of our Lady's state," the blonde replied, "It's wonderful to see she's up."  
"Love, this is Adrian Malfoy, and Julian Nott," Voldemort explained, "They serve me."  
"Hello," she greeted, somewhat meekly, giving them both a grin. They both bowed, then disappeared with a pop. She frowned; that was something. She knew it... She could do it too.

"Apparating," Voldemort murmured, "Incase you were struggling for a name."  
"Yes," she agreed, the name sounding very familiar, "I knew that."  
"Now, I suppose we need to go out and buy you some things," Voldemort sighed, releasing her and continuing up the stairs. She frowned, then hurried up after him, "Buy me things... What things?"  
"Dresses... Girl things," he replied, "I'm afraid there was a robbery before your memories were erased... We hadn't any time to buy you what you needed."

A robbery? That was completely off her radar. Nothing went off about a robbery.

"So what am I going to wear then?" she asked when they were finally back in the room, their room, "I mean... This is nice-"  
"I don't think I'd let many men ogle you with that on," he laughed, pulling the curtain away from a large window and letting the sunlight seep in, "Have a quick shower, and I'll transfigure the dress into something suitable."

She nodded and walked toward the joining bathroom, her bare feet barely making a sound against the floor. Voldemort cleared his throat behind her, and when she turned back, he raised an eyebrow, "I need the dress."  
"You can have it once I'm done in the shower," she informed him, shooting him a playful smirk. He crossed the room quickly, and in an instant, he had her pinned up against the wall, his face very close to hers.  
"Do I frighten you?" he whispered, his hands grasping hers and linking their fingers. Elodie's breathing hitched in her throat, and she found herself unable to look away from his eyes, "Yes. Should I be frightened?"  
"Yes," he breathed, resting his forehead against hers, "For so many reasons."

Had he always been like this? She didn't like it, but maybe she could learn to enjoy it.

Hopefully.

"Go shower," he murmured against her neck, finally stepping away and grinning. Elodie slipped around the corner, shutting the door to the bathroom quickly.

*-

Edward had just sent James off to the Pettigrew house, since James was friends with the young boy there. It would be easier to do 'Muggle investigating', as Gill called it, without his son in the home.  
Hirman volunteered to help, but he was swamped full of case work that day, and promised to drop by in the evening.

"If the Dark Lord lives somewhere, I doubt he bunks with his servants," Gill stated, "So there will be something unique left here by him. We can only hope it will help."  
Edward frowned, "Something left behind? Like what?"  
"I don't know," Gill chuckled, "This is when we start looking. We need to somehow rope off the path he walked last night... Do you remember?"  
Edward drew out his wand and whispered a spell softly, walking over to the spot where he had first seen Voldemort, "We saw him here."  
He placed a glowing dot over the floor, "Then he moved over to Elodie... This way."

As he walked, a trail of yellow glowing light followed from the tip of his wand. Gill nodded, his eyes squinting, "Then he took her to the door... He spent the majority of his time in here, so I'll start in this room. It will be easier for you to look in the storage room."

Edward watched Gill crouch down on the floor, his eyes sweeping over the hardwood boards. He wished he knew what Gill was _doing_, "What are you looking for?"  
"Something he left behind," Gill informed him, pulling out a Q-Tip and running it along the floor, pulling it up and revealing a bit of dirt, "Something he doesn't know he had on him."  
"Like what?" Edward pressed, "Give me something specific."  
"Retrace his every move that night first," Gill ordered, still staring hard at the floor, "It'll give us somewhere to search."

Edward let out a frustrated sigh and continued to follow Voldemort's invisible trail, from what he guessed, out into the storage room.  
"Make sure you go upstairs," Gill shouted from the living room, "They went up, and returned with a ring."  
Edward paused and returned to the living room, "How do you know that?"  
"He threw Elodie's ring at you, and replaced it with a new one that she had been holding," Gill explained, still not looking up from the floor, "She did not have it before she went upstairs... So, it was most likely from somewhere up there. Where does she keep her jewelry?"  
"In a box in our bedroom," Edward replied, "I'll continue up there then."  
"Good."

Gill's eyes flickered up briefly at Edward's disappearing figure. The young man wanted to find his wife so desperately, he was becoming very distracted with everything else, including his common sense.  
Gill moved along the floor, smiling at the fact the boys of the house had not cleaned up since the night before. Some of the Death Eaters had mud on their shoes, and the dried up dirt was still littered across the floor. Unfortunately, mud could be from anywhere in England, and judging by the recent storm, it could have come from the front walkway.  
However, Gill's eyes landed on something different. Near the fire place, there was a soft green standing out against the wooden floor. Frowning, he shuffled closer and gently picked it up. It was a plant, located directly under the first glowing dot Edward had placed.  
Voldemort stood here.

Gill grinned, "Edward... I think I've found something!"

*-

"Oh, look at those fabrics," Elodie squealed as they walked arm in arm down a busy Muggle street. The city of Dover contained many lovely little shopping centers, but Voldemort preferred to travel along the older venues. The Muggles were much more to his taste, which was why he had built his home along the coast.

"Come," he chuckled, "Let's have a look then."  
"Oh, no," she insisted, tugging him away from the shop, "Look at those prices! I'm sure we can find something cheaper!"

_Modest girl, Tom, modest girl._

Not modest, cheap. This would be a wonderful marriage if she stayed cheap.

But for now, he wanted to spoil her. He wanted to buy her fancy cloths and wonderful jewelry, which in the end, would bind her to him.

Once she had given him her dress, he changed it into a suitable dress-suit, containing a knee-length dark blue skirt, and a white top to match. He had his own cheek, making the fabric of her top slightly see-through. She seemed much more stand-offish after he had told her to fear him, but with his personality, he managed to have her warming up to him quite quickly.

"Come along, love," he laughed, "We can afford to spend a little more on you."  
"But-"

He hushed her and pulled her inside with a sharp jerk, then pushed her toward the aisle of more expensive dresses.

"Good afternoon," an elderly woman greeted, "Can I help you with anything?"  
"We're fine," Voldemort said curtly, looking down his nose at the saleswoman, "We'll call you if we need something."  
"Of course, sir."

_Nosy woman, Tom, nosy woman._

No, she was someone doing her job. Nosy looking, mind you, but only doing her job.

"How about something black, to start off?" he suggested, pulling a black, floor length dress off it's hanger and holding it in front of Elodie, "What do you think?"  
"I don't remember what a corset feels like," she sighed, poking at the bodice with her slender fingers, "I'd have to try it on."  
"I'm sure it would look very attractive," he said softly, "Go... I'll find you some more things."  
She trotted off to the change room, and Voldemort found his eyes following the sway of her behind. It was... hypnotizing.

_Yours, Tom, yours._

Yes, it was his.

He swept along the rows of dresses, collecting the ones he found caught his eye the most. They were mostly dark colours; deep reds, gorgeous blues and greens.  
Just he because he was the Dark Lord, didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the finer aspects of life. And at the moment, the finer things for him revolved around a woman.

He leaned on the door, knocking softly, "Elodie?"  
"I don't know," she called back, sounding a little out of breath, "It's very... tight."  
"I think it's supposed to be," he chuckled, "Let me see."  
The doorknob twisted and she stepped out, twirling in a circle for him, "Well?"

He grinned. Perhaps all of her clothes should involve a corset. Her waist was minuscule, while her chest was nearly overflowing from the restraints. Her hips were visible, and only enhanced by the contrast of the tiny waist. The strings of the outfit were at the front, probably easier for him to undo.

Maybe a man designed the dress.

Other then the complex contraption holding in her body, the dress was simple. Black, low-neckline, and went down to the floor.

Tapping his chin with his finger, he walked around her slowly, "You know... I like it."  
"It's hard to breathe though," she muttered, resting a hand on her stomach. He sighed, "Then we'll make a deal... This dress is only for me."  
"Only for you?" she laughed, "If you want to wear it... By all means..."  
"Don't be smart," he scolded, giving her corset strings a sharp tug, "I mean you will only have to wear it in my company."  
"Fine," she murmured, "Give me the rest to try on then."  
He handed her the dresses, but his hand caught hers and he dragged her closer, pressing his lips against her forehead, "I'll pay for these, just don't take forever to try them on."  
"Don't worry," Elodie whispered, "I'm fast."

He raised his eyebrows and she stepped back into the dressing room, the door closing firmly behind her.

_Fool for a pretty face, Tom, fool for a pretty face._

_  
_He shrugged, so he was. It didn't matter, he would always be in control.


	7. Pain

The rained flittered down onto the roof, causing a soothing sound to echo throughout the house. Elodie quite enjoyed the rain. She wasn't sure whether she liked it before, but something about the power of a storm stirred her mind.

Once she and Voldemort had finished shopping, they spent nearly the entire day discussing everything under the sun about anything in the wizarding world. She was astounded with the information that flooded back to her mind, though she felt a little uncomfortable with her 'husband' prodding her for what she knew. He seemed rather excited with her endless prattling of wizarding wars and complex spells.

After they had finished, Voldemort had her cook him a dinner. Once she had maneuvered her way around the kitchen, she managed to cook a decent meal, earning her a little bit of praise from the man she was supposed to call husband.  
There was an odd aura hovering around Voldemort. It had an evil presence, while also containing a certain innocence. The odd thing about her memory loss, was that she could remember so much information about the wizarding world, but nothing about him. He was a mystery.

She was sprawled out on their shared bed, reading a novel she had found in the downstairs library. Voldemort's back was to her as he wrote a letter, his quill scratching loudly against the paper. With a sigh, she closed the book, "Can you do something for me?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Take me for a walk."

Voldemort paused and turned back to her, resting his elbow on the back of his chair, "What?"  
"A walk," she repeated, rolling off the bed and slipping into the new cloak they had purchased late in the afternoon, "In the rain... Come on."  
"No," he snorted, returning to his letter, "You'll freeze."  
"I will not!" she groaned, digging his cloak out of the closet and slowly sauntering over to his desk, "Please? It would be so romantic..."  
"You want romance?" he chuckled, still not looking up at her, "I thought you would have noticed by now I'm not a romantic man."  
"I don't remember," she admitted, slightly put out, "Right then... Never mind."  
He released a groan and pushed out from the desk quickly, "Guilt usually doesn't work... Give me the bloody cloak."

Elodie smiled and swiftly helped him into the cloak. She couldn't help but be smug about her small victory. Not even a day with him and she was already getting him to do things.  
Had it always been like this?

She was sure most men liked to act tough and in control, but with the right persuasion, they could be twisted.

He led her outside and into the rain, her arm twisted around his as she pressed closer to him, staring contently into the rain. The large water droplets cascaded down the leaves on the trees, slamming into the wild flowers as they were ripped back and forth in the breeze.  
The forest only surrounded the small house. As soon as they pushed through the woodland barrier, Voldemort introduced her to the large cliffs and open sea in the English Channel and the Straight of Dover. The sea air was lovely, and as she inhaled, her eyes slowly shut, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Are we quite finished?" Voldemort droned, his hands deep in his pockets, "We are thoroughly soaked, and it's cold."  
"I thought you were a Lord," Elodie mused, grasping his arm and pulling him down a stony path toward a tiny beach amongst the cliffs, "I didn't think the cold would bother you."  
"I am a Lord," he snapped, "Doesn't mean I can't get cold."  
"Oh, touchy," she giggled, enjoying his sudden irritation, "I'm only playing with you."  
He shot her an annoyed look, "You were never like this before."  
"Does it bother you?" she inquired, giving his hand a squeeze before flitting off, climbing up onto a drenched rock. The wind nearly sent her flying off, but in the end, it was the slimy surface of the rock that did the trick. She released a soft squeal and fell backwards, causing Voldemort to reach out swiftly in order to catch her.  
"You also weren't a klutz," he grumbled, "Let's go."  
"But..." she grunted, wriggling in his arms, "It's nice out here!"  
"It's pouring," he argued, heading back toward the cliff pathways, "Wouldn't you rather sit inside and just... watch the rain?"  
"Maybe."  
"Well that's what you are going to do."  
"Why did you ask then?"

He let out a huff of irritation and set her down, moving forcefully back toward the house. Was he always like this when he didn't get his way? She picked up her skirts and moved faster along the stony path, catching up to him quickly.

"Wait," she urged, grasping his arm and turning him back to face her. He raised an eyebrow, and she did the only thing she could think of doing with her face so close to his; she kissed him.

*-

"He found a plant?" Hirman repeated, raising his eyebrows, "And that's how he plans to find You-Know-Who? Blimey... He _has_ gone mad."  
"Apparently it has to do with this whole Muggle investigating scheme," Edward sighed, drumming his fingers on the table they were seated at, "It's not doing us any good."

Gill had sent them a letter telling them to meet him at a Muggle bar near the Ministry headquarters, and that he had excellent news. Edward was still confused with what the news could be, since both he and Hirman were utterly lost when it came to this Muggle researching.  
A figure suddenly appeared at the door, and Gill pushed in through a crowd of rowdy Muggle sport fans, who were all huddled around a small television near the entrance, shouting profound things as men kicked a ball around on the screen.

Hirman called the waitress for another drink, and they both greeted Gill as he plunked down into a chair, a smile begging to spread across his face.

"You have something you want to tell us?" Edward pressed, chugging back the rest of his drink, "Because, as grateful as I am for your help, this isn't getting us any closer to Elodie."  
"You need to learn some patience," Gill stated, adjusting his glasses and pulling a small vial out of his pocket, "Do you know what this is?"  
Edward and Hirman leaned closer, squinting at the small green substance inside the glass. With a small sigh, Edward looked up, "A piece of grass?"

"Algae," he said simply, setting the container on the table. Hirman picked it up and examined it closely, "Algae? What good is that?"  
"Well, it gives us a location, doesn't it," Gill informed the pair, "I'm guessing You-Know-Who had some stuck to his shoes when he walked in... Now we know he lives close to water."  
"Close to water?" Edward droned, rolling his eyes, "We have a creek behind our house! He could have walked-"  
"You have a vile temper, Mr. Potter," Gill chuckled, "And you didn't let me finish. This is special. While you can find most algae in fresh water ponds, lakes and streams, this is saltwater algae, meaning it's from either the Channel, or the ocean."

Edward hated to admit it, but the information was somewhat useful.

"So now what?" Hirman grumbled, "We search the entire coast of England?!"  
"Or Scotland," Edward groaned, sounding defeated, "Or Ireland, or Wales... Gill-"  
"Give me more time," Gill said firmly, "My suspicions say he's in the southern part of England."  
"Why?"  
"Because that's where none of you have looked."

*-

Voldemort dragged Elodie up towards their room, barely breaking contact between their lips before shoving her back onto the bed.

It was about damn time!

He steadied his breathing and looked down at her, her chest heaving, a rather attractive sight. With a swift movement, he had removed his cloak and tossed it aside, hearing it land with a loud, wet thump on the floor.

_Pig, Tom, pig._

Oh, shut up! That bloody voice was supposed to be on his side!

"Sit up," he ordered, somewhat coldly. She complied and he unclasped her cloak, then with her help, removed it and in an instant it joined his cloak on the floor. He knelt down in front of her, his hands roaming along her soaking legs, while his lips immediately found themselves at home against her neck. With a soft moan, she threaded her hands through his hair, giggling when he bit down.

She was different then the last time they had done this. Submissive all the same, but there was more... passion? Bah, he'd find the word later.

His fingers dug sharply into her hips, and he tugged her off the bed, pushing her down onto the hard floor. She inhaled sharply as he rammed his lips back into hers, demanding access roughly as he pinned her down with his legs.

Oh, yes, this marriage thing had its perks.

Voldemort yanked her wrists and held them down, pulling away to look at her for a moment. She licked her lips, "What?"  
"I've always liked you like this," he muttered, moving closer and nipping at her lip. She grinned and sat up the best she could, pressing her lips into his. Hearing her sigh contently made it all the more better, and he finally released one of her wrists, his hand slithering down to her chest. Her back arched, pressing her breast into his hand and she moaned loudly, the sound vibrating between their mouths.

_Aroused, Tom, aroused._

Yes, thank you so stating the obvious. Glaring at his forehead, he rolled his eyes and kissed Elodie roughly, earning him another squeak. Whether it was from pain or pleasure, he wasn't sure, but he was quite happy with both.

"My lord?!"

Both he and Elodie jumped at the sudden voice in the room, and Voldemort glanced up to see Adrian Malfoy's floating head in the fireplace, "Are you there, Master?"  
Voldemort groaned and climbed off Elodie, then made his way over to the fireplace.  
"What?!" he snarled, glaring at the head. She finally submits, not that it took very long, and someone interrupts!

"A few aurors have breached the Manchester stronghold," his servant informed him, "We're in dire need of some assistance."  
"Can't you idiots keep one building safe?!" Voldemort exploded, "This is the third defense you've lost to those damn aurors!"  
"We are not worthy of any sort of favour," Adrian groveled, "But please... It's one of our largest remaining defenses!"  
"Fine," Voldemort growled, glancing back to Elodie briefly, "I'll be there soon. Do you think you can handle insignificant little aurors until I arrive?"  
"Of course, sir," Adrian whispered, his head vanishing. With an irritated sigh, Voldemort turned back to Elodie, who was back to sitting on the bed, picking at her nails. He swept over and cupped her face, "I'll be home soon."  
"Be... safe," she muttered, kissing his hand. He smirked, "Don't worry about me... If anything, fear for those insufferable Ministry officials... They won't live through the night."

She smiled weakly and he gave her another quick kiss before apparating out of the house, appearing inside a house quite similar to his, only larger.  
He had personally designed all of their major headquarters to look almost the same as his home, but big enough to fit in the single men and women who weren't living in their own homes. He wondered why he was actually giving people somewhere to live, since most of his followers were on the extreme sides of money; filthy rich or horribly poor.  
A pair of aurors dashed out in front of him, and with a flick of his wand, they both fell to the floor, completely stiff. He strode past their bound bodies, giving them each a swift kick in the face before carrying on, hoping to find the idiots who couldn't keep his stronghold safe, and thoroughly punish them.

_Fun for Tom, Tom, fun for Tom._

Yes... He was sure it would be quite entertaining. Watching his servants wriggle in pain was always worth it.


	8. Hell

Now that I'm rereading this story, about three years after it was written, I've discovered I'm not that big of a fan. Ehh. But I figured I may as well upload all of it so it's completed!

* * *

Elodie sat on the edge of a large cliff, watching dismally as the waves slammed into the rocky siding below. Her eyes were dry from the constant staring, but she paid them no mind. A day had passed since she was told to torture Julian Nott, and she had kept her distance from Voldemort the entire time. He walked around the house, calling for her, but she managed to leave.  
"Elodie?"

His voice was so distant, though it would have been clear had she been fully listening. His footsteps were muffled in her ears, and only when his hand landed on her shoulder did she finally zone back to their reality.  
"Hey," he murmured, sitting down beside her on the rock, "What... What was that? Last night... Love, are you alright?"  
"I saw something I've been repressing for years," she droned, her voice even, "And I didn't want to see it again."

He seemed almost annoyed that he had to come out to her, but she didn't care. Elodie nestled her head under his neck and shut her eyes, her chilly hands curled between him and her chest. He finally wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tucked her in tightly, whispering, "What did you see?"  
"I saw him," she murmured, "And what she did to him... Then remembered what he did to me."  
"Who is he?" he asked softly, his voice barely heard over the dull roar of the water. With a sigh, she looked out, her eyes lined with a small tear, "My father... My real father."

"What did he do?" he pressed, not sounding very interested at all. It was as if he was asking because he had to. She glanced up to him and his eyes met hers. They didn't care, but she would tell him anyway, just to let him in a window to her world.  
"My father used to touch me," she stated bluntly, "From when I was young, to when I was nearly six."  
Her gaze turned away from him and back out to the water, watching the slowly falling sun cast magnificent colours along the ripples, "My mother found out. I wasn't sure how, but she did. I was always too frightened to tell her... My father didn't scare me, but I liked him, when he wasn't... you know."  
"How does-"

"This have to do with Nott?" she finished for him, resting her hands now on his lap, "My mother took him out to the shed one afternoon, I watched from the window. He went inside, she took something out of her pocket... She burned the entire shed to the ground, him inside it. At first the door was locked, but once the flames were big enough, he managed to push through, and he crawled out, his body all black and burnt."  
A few tears trickled down her cheek and she quickly brushed them away, "I shouldn't have been sad... I should have been happy he was finally gone, and we were going to leave that place, leave all those memories behind. I... I was upset for what she had done to him, almost as much as what he kept doing to me."  
"Elodie," he cooed, wiping her tears away and holding her a little closer, "Relax..."  
She finally realized how fast she had been speaking, and how quick her breathing was, "I've repressed it for so long... The entire ordeal. I never thought about until last night. I... Why did I see it?"  
"Shh," he murmured, "You don't need to worry about it anymore, ok? I'll look after you. You need to trust me, and only me, from now on."  
"I trust you," she whispered, "It's just... That body looked the same as Nott... And..."  
He hushed her once again, and she finally felt like he was beginning to care, "Come... I'll make you something hot to drink."

"Thanks," she muttered, allowing him to help her stand up, both of her small hands clutching his large one. It seemed to please him that she clung to him, she noted as a smirk spread across his lips, his long fingers weaving in and around all ten of hers.  
"What can I make you?" he purred when they were finally in the kitchen. Elodie settled herself onto a bar stool and watched with a slight smile tugging at her lips as he pulled the door to the liquor cabinet open, "Something to warm me up... I need to go to sleep."  
"Already?" he inquired, pouting, "Think of how much fun we could have with this..."  
"I didn't sleep at all last night, and I'm tired," she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, "I'm sorry."  
"Not yet you aren't," he muttered, pouring her a glass full of a brown liquid and setting it in front of her, "Not yet."

She shifted nervously in her seat and accepted the glass, drinking it with a mild caution.

*-

Edward and Hirman followed Gill through a crowded market along the somewhat busy streets of Canterbury, his hands buried in his pocket. It was much cooler down south by the water, but there was something in the air. Hope.  
Hirman had scheduled the rest of the week off to help with this private investigation, much to Edward's pleasure. They had filled in their redheaded friend with everything they knew, and he suggested they merely start in the first place Greg had suggested, Canterbury.

"I have a contact here," Gill explained, moving swiftly for someone his age, "He's a young boy from Hogwarts... Wants to work in my department when he grows up. Nothing happens in this city without him seeing it first."  
"How does a boy manage to do that?" Edward chuckled, "Some of our best aurors usually miss something."  
"Then they ain't very good, are they?" came a sharp, rude little voice from his side. Edward jumped and looked down, taking in the sight of a twelve year old, dirty blonde boy, a round, large cap engulfing his head, and a traditional little brown suit covering his body. He stuffed his hands into his pocket and smiled, revealing a set of slightly yellow teeth, " 'Ello Gill... You're late."  
"Very sorry," Gill chuckled, shaking hands very professionally with the boy, "They seemed a little awestruck about the city."  
"Aw, most do," the boy laughed, "The names Nicolas Wimbly, and you must be the great Edward Potter, and Hirman Weasley."  
"How...?"

Edward didn't think he was that famous that wizards around England knew who he was. Gill grinned, "I sent him a letter."  
"Listen, I ain't got all day," Nicolas blurted, fixing his cap, "I got one day to spend away from ol' 'Ogwarts... They think I'm here for a family funeral."  
"We need to know if you've heard anything of the Dark Lord," Gill said firmly, his voice not lowering at all. Nicolas shifted back and forth, rubbing his nose once or twice, "I 'ear loads of things... What do you want to know?"  
"He's taken my wife," Edward explained, "And I want to find her."  
"Be more specific, will ya?" Nicolas snapped, rolling his eyes, "Does 'e fancy 'er, or want to kill 'er?"  
Edward closed his jaw tightly, then cleared his throat, "He likes her."  
"Then 'e'll be in Dover," Nicolas stated, "I over'eard a bunch'a 'is servants talking at a pub a little while back. They said 'is main home is in Dover."  
"Anywhere specific we can look?" Hirman asked, "Hillside? Coast? City?"  
Nicolas rubbed his head, "I can't think of anywhere... They don't say much... They shut up the one who blurted Dover real good though. Real good."

*-

"Mmm... What was in this drink?" Elodie murmured, staring hard at the glass, "I feel so..."  
"Relaxed?" Voldemort suggested, aiding her off the chair and wrapping his arm around her waist, "I figured you wanted to relax, love."  
"Yes... Yes," she agreed, clutching the front of his shirt, "But I can barely stand."  
"Your muscles are reacting to the wonderful drink I concocted," Voldemort stated, finally hoisting her up and resting her on his hip. She brought her lips to his neck, pressing feathery like kisses along his skin. He smiled and stopped for a moment, holding her up against the wall and ramming his lips up into hers, drawing a sultry moan from her throat.

_Taking advantage, Tom, taking advantage._

Oh, do shut up. He made the bloody advantage for himself.  
His hands worked under her dress, pressing a palm against the sensitive spot hidden beneath. She inhaled sharply and dug her fingers into his shoulders, causing him to wince, but he loved it. She shook slightly as he pressed harder, his lengthy fingers sliding under her knickers, feeling her sudden craving for him against his skin.

"Please," she whispered urgently in his ear, "Please..."  
He grinned and slipped a finger inside her, causing her to arch out against the wall, her eyes widening as she bit down on her lip. Another joined the first finger and she tugged his lips swiftly into hers, their tongues sliding over each others in a matter of microseconds.  
Perhaps he should give her that little drink more often. It could prove in his favour in the end of things.  
She broke away and a confused look overtook her face, causing her to stop his exploring hand. His lip began to curl with annoyance, "What?!"  
"The drink..." she muttered, pushing his hand out of her and fixing herself up, "Was there vodka in it?"  
"Yes..." he replied, thinking of the key ingredient, "Yes, why?"  
"Oh Gods," she gasped, grasping her stomach, "I'm allergic to vodka!"  
The effect of the muscle relaxer seemed to have worn off, and she quickly pushed past him and hurried up the staircase. After a moment, he heard the bathroom door shut loudly, and he instantly rethought his whole drink-making process.

_A potion next time, Tom, a potion next time._

Yes. He would just have to use a potion when he wanted to loosen her up.  
"Evening, my lord," Adrian Malfoy said loudly, stepping in through his front door, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."  
"I'm standing alone, aren't I?" Voldemort snapped irritably, "Silly bint is allergic to vodka..."  
"All hopes for a drunken Elodie gone then?" Adrian joked, a smile on his face. Voldemort glared at him, but suddenly remembered the man was his most trusted advisor and follower, and he could stand to take joke every once and a while.

"How are things with our Lady?" Adrian asked, changing the subject slightly, "Going according to plan?"  
"I need to shape her mind more, but she's coming along," Voldemort stated, clasping his hands behind his back, "But something rather odd happened..."

He proceeded to explain Elodie's abrupt departure from her tormenting Nott the previous night, and the memories she had shared with him that day.  
Something about her memories angered him. He was upset that she was getting some sort of memory, but the very content of the memory disturbed him. A father touching his daughter; how disgusting.  
"Perhaps the memory shifting you did in her mind triggered some things she didn't want triggered," Adrian guessed, "There may be other memories she'll suddenly remember... Who knows. I think we need to be careful at this point in time... Her mind is still very fragile."

_True, Tom, true._

Yes, very true. Her mind needs to be babied for some time, yet nurtured with his own mind.  
"I'm going to take her to a meeting soon," Voldemort informed him, "But because of that little episode, I think I'll wait."  
Many of the meetings involved torturing people, and if she reacted so badly to Nott, it may be worse if it's a Muggle.  
"I should check on her," Voldemort muttered, dismissing Adrian quickly and moving up the his bedroom, finding Elodie sitting on their bed, her head resting in her hands.  
"You should sleep," he ordered, closing the curtains around the room, "Sleep usually helps."  
"Didn't you know I was allergic to vodka?" she asked weakly, her face pale when she finally looked up, "We've been married since we were eighteen..."  
"It slipped my mind," he lied, kneeling beside her and kissing her hands, "I just wanted to make you feel better."

Oh, it was sickening how loving he needed to sound, but she seemed to like it. She smiled, "Why are you so good to me?"  
"We're married," he said firmly, holding up the hand that bore his ring, a part of his soul, "You're bound to me. I may as well look after you."  
Her cheeks flushed and he rose on his knees, gently pressing his lips into hers. She moaned softly, fueling him on and he increased his speed, slowly rising to his feet. In return, she fell onto her back, propelling herself into the center of the bed with her feet as he slithered over her.

_Easy girl, Tom, easy girl._

Yes, she was easy.  
She managed to hook her heels around his legs and rolled him over, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist and hips. A coy smile on his face, he placed his hands behind his head and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to make her move. Her slender fingers walked up his chest in a teasing manner, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. His eyes rolled into the back of his head contently when she brought her lips down to his bare chest, nipping, sucking and biting at him here and there, working her way down to his belt. Elodie looked up at him seductively, a girlish smile on her lips. He met her gaze and reached down, grasping her hands and setting them on his belt bucket, undoing it a little for her. She took the hint and removed his belt, then unbuttoned his pants, her hands brushing across the spot he wanted touched the most.

_Finally, Tom, finally._

_  
_Yes, finally.  
She stopped suddenly, rolled off, and hurried off the bed with a hand on her stomach, then barricaded herself in the bathroom.  
Voldemort rolled his eyes and sat up, looking at his open pants and grumbled softly, pushing them off completely. He only slept in his boxer shorts anyway.  
"Elodie?" he called, quite annoyed that she had not finished what she started, "Are you alright?"  
"Go to bed, if you want," she shouted weakly, "I'll be out in a little while."  
Bloody Hell.


	9. Need

"The Minister is weak if he thinks the only way to keep us out is to post wards!" Voldemort boasted, waving his hands dramatically at his followers.  
_Look at them, Tom, look at them._  
Oh, they were paying such close attention. It made Voldemort's heart flutter with happiness.  
Well, not to that extreme, but he was happy, to say the least.  
Elodie stood in the back of the crowd, watching with mild interest. He was pleased to see nothing had brought her memories back yet, and his servants were treating her better then expected. Many called her 'My Lady' and bowed when she walked past them. Perhaps they were more devoted to him and his cause then he thought.

"Tonight is a free for all," he chuckled, clasping his hands together loudly and rocking back and forth on his heels, "Get inside, take what you want, but no killing. All we want to do is scare them into agreeing with whatever we demand. Once tonight is over with, and they do not meet our demands, we will begin killing. But for now, save..."  
His eyes had drifted over to Elodie, and she had a rather aroused look on her face. She licked her lips seductively and raised an eyebrow, running a hand up her side, looking like she was stretching, but he caught her hand pass over her breast. She smiled cheekily.  
He cleared his throat, "Save your killing spells for the Muggles. I want a plan of attack formed by the time you leave tonight... You may use the basement as a base, for now."  
His followers murmured words of thanks and departed to the lower levels, Julian and Adrian following.  
_Damn fool for a pretty face, Tom, damn fool for a pretty face._  
So he had been told.

He would have ranted on about Muggles, and how much everyone should hate them, but Elodie just looked so good, it was hard to remember what he wanted to say. He beckoned her over, and she sauntered across the room slowly, a grin on her face.  
"I rather enjoyed your speech," she informed him, running her hand up his chest and placing her lips very close to his, "I never knew you could be so... in control."  
Oh, so she liked control? She was just too perfect.  
"My dear," he purred, raising an eyebrow, "You have no idea."  
She giggled and began kissing along his neck, nibbling lightly on his skin. He smiled, somewhat in disbelief, and cupped her backside, hoisting her up a little more to meet his lips. She giggled softly and wove her fingers into his hair, "You know all that stuff you said... Are you really stronger then the Ministry?"  
"Of course," he scoffed, "A simpleton is smarter than the Ministry. Compared to them I'm a genius."  
"You're my genius," she whispered into his ear as he carried her upstairs, kicking the door to his bedroom shut with his foot.  
Gods, just one little speech and she was all over him.  
"You're in a mood, aren't you?" he chuckled, dropping her as gently as he could on the bed, then taking a step back to look her over. She had worn the black dress, the one with the corset that he found so damn attractive. Although, it was going to be a little more difficult to take off, but he would manage.  
He hadn't slept with anyone since he had slept with Elodie. More then ten years of not shagging anyone was killing him, and now that he finally had a woman, he wanted to relieve some... tension that had been building.

"You know what I think?" she mused as he dropped to his knees, slowly removing her shoes. He rolled his eyes, "What, love?"  
"I think the Ministry has more defense then you anticipate."  
He snorted into her leg and pushed her dress up to her hips, slowly kissing along her thigh. Her hands, once again, found themselves in his hair, and he sighed contently as she massaged his scalp. Grinning, he moved up her body, planting firm, hard kisses along the bodice of her dress, stopping near her chest to set to work on the corset.  
"I remember something," she stated as he clumsily loosened the string.  
Bloody strings were so small and so tightly done... How the Hell was anyone supposed to get them undone?!

"What do you remember?" he asked, humoring her as he finally got the first set of strings loosened, allowing him a better look at her cleavage. She moaned as his lips went to work on the top of her breasts, and when he looked up, he noticed she was chewing her lower lip, her eyes shut happily.  
"Love," he pressed, grinding his hips into hers, "What do you remember?"  
She gasped at the sudden contact, then smiled, "Something about the Ministry."  
"Go on," he murmured against her skin, his fingers fumbling again over the strings. He had half a mind to just get it off with magic, but that would ruin the moment.  
Oh, Gods, he still fancied her a little... Thinking about ruining the moment. How pathetic.  
"There is a Department," she rambled, gasping when he bit down on her nipple through the coarse material, "A-And I remember not being allowed to go into it... The Department of Mysteries. Inside it is a room... A prophecies room."  
His ears perked at the very word and he looked up her, "What's in this room?"  
"Prophecies, what else?" she giggled, running a finger down his cheek, "Anyone who plays an important role in the future has one."

He froze in mid-kiss and sat up, looking her directly in the eye, "Since when has this been?"  
"Since... Since forever," she laughed, shrugging her shoulders, "At least, from what I remember it's always been there. The Prophecies make themselves, and are placed in the room."  
He quickly got to his feet and turned away, deep in thought.  
Of course he was going to be important in the future... Perhaps he had a prophecy!  
He looked back at Elodie and grinned, "That's my girl. Now... Stay here, I'll be right back."

_Sneaky, Tom, sneaky._

_  
_Not sneaky, smart.

*-

"What is this called again?" Edward asked, frowning at the large contraption Gil was typing away on. The old man smiled, "A computer."  
"We've had a few of them brought into the office," Hirman stated as he pulled up a chair beside Edward, "They're getting really popular with Muggles."  
They had stopped in a large library in downtown Dover, and Gil had suggested researching houses in the area.  
"He's You-Know-Who, so he may want a rich house," Edward mused, "Can you search houses over a certain price in the area?"  
"Already done, my friend," Gil stated softly, his eyes skimming the small screen, "All of these are owned by Muggles..."

"Maybe he killed one and moved in?" Hirman suggested, shrugging, "I mean... It's possible."  
"I don't think he wants a big house, actually," Gil mumbled, "He'd be known to people in the area if he owned an expensive manor, wouldn't he?"  
"He'll need something secluded," Edward guessed, leaning on the back of his chair, "Somewhere where no one will ever find him."  
Gil began typing things feverishly onto the Muggle contraption, and one lone house popped onto the screen.  
"It's near the coast," Gil read, "Of course... No one wants a house directly on the cliffs... The storms can get pretty bad..."  
"Unless the house is protected by magic," Edward finished, his eyes widening, "That's it... That's where he has her!"

"We found her!!" Hirman exclaimed loudly, standing up as quickly as he could. Several people glared in his direction and hushed him, causing him to grin sheepishly and apologize.  
"What's the address?" Edward asked, grabbing a pen and getting ready to write it on his hand. Gil smiled, "I'll print it... We need a paper copy for the Ministry."  
"Right."  
Gil rose, walked over to a desk with another large contraption on it, and returned with a piece of paper. He handed it to Edward, "Now we've got a picture."  
"It says residence is to a Tom Riddle," Hirman read over Edward's shoulder, "Is that him?"  
"It used to be," Edward muttered, folding the paper and slipping it into his pocket, "Let me do this alone... I need to get Elodie back. I lost her, it's my fault."  
"I'm not letting you face him alone," Hirman argued, stepping in front of him as he made his way to the door, "You're my best mate... It would be like I'm sending you to the slaughter house."  
"I'm going alone."  
"No... No you won't."  
"Yes, I am!"

*-

"This is unexpected, I must admit," Elodie laughed as Voldemort handed her her coat, wrapping it around her shoulders and opening the door for her.  
The pair had just spent the evening in a wonderful restaurant, and did a little bit of dancing. She never figured him for the dancing type, but there he was, leading her across the floor with ease.  
Apparently, the Department of Mysteries had changed all of his plans, and he had left her to go inform his servants of the sudden change. He spent nearly a half an hour locked away in the basement, and when he returned, he was happier then he had ever been, and informed her that he was taking her out to dinner.

"I only want what's best for my smart little witch," he cooed, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist and leading her outside, onto the street, "Care to look at some shops?"  
"I'd love to," she sighed, leaning into him and gazing at the lit up shop windows, fantasizing about the beautiful dresses in some of the pricier shops.  
"I had a dream last night," she whispered, "It was about someone named Tom."  
His face froze and he looked down at her, "Tom?"  
"I think he was my boyfriend in school or something," she laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear, "We seemed close."

_Elodie sat on the steps of the girls dorm room, her notebook on her lap as she scribbled away at some homework.  
Tom had gone out for a little while, but he promised to see her if she waited for him in the Common Room.  
However, there were so many people sitting on the couches. So many people who didn't want her there. Instead of sitting there, in sight, she tried to stay in the shadows, away from it all.  
The Common Room door finally opened, and in stepped her Tom. His eyes locked onto hers almost instantly, and he ignored the giggling girls who waved at him as he strode across the room.  
"Hi T-Tom," she greeted, closing up her books and setting them on the staircase, then rising. He smiled wickedly and scooped her up in a tight hug, swinging her in a circle.  
"Tom!" she whispered playfully, kissing his cheek meekly, "P-People will see..."  
"So?" he purred, "Let them see... I'm not ashamed... Are you?"  
"N-No, Tom, never."_

_  
_"Apparently I had a stutter," Elodie laughed, "I wonder why it's gone."  
"You lost it when we started dating," he said flatly, "Something about me made you lose it."  
"Then I'm thankful for you," she breathed, leaning up on the tip of her toes to give him a quick kiss. He smiled and rubbed the small of her back, forcing her to keep walking, "See anything you like?"  
"A few things," she teased, looking directly at him. He caught her stare and laughed softly, "Besides me, love."  
"A few dresses, I suppose," she declared, "Nothing I really need though."  
"That's what I like to hear."  
They walked in silence for some time, until Elodie spotted something.  
A patch of greying hair, and a man with glasses came into her vision, and she frowned; he was familiar. Who was he?

"I see someone," she insisted, tugging on his sleeve and pointing at the man, "I know him!"  
Voldemort's eyes followed her pointing finger and they widened, "No, no Elodie, you don't."  
"I do... I've seen him somewhere," she stated, "His name... His name is... It starts with a G..."  
"Let's go home, Elodie," he hissed quietly, steering her down a deserted alley and apparating them both home.

The name was on the tip of her tongue! If he hadn't rushed her off so quickly, she may have gotten it.  
"Are you alright?" she inquired, "You seem a little... on edge."  
"I'm fine," he snapped, "Just tired. I need some sleep."  
"That Tom person looked like you," she said swiftly as he began to make his way up the stairs, "Are you not telling me something?"  
"Tom was... my ... brother," he finally got out, "And he died a long time ago, before we starting dating."  
"Oh. Are you going to bed then?" she asked, glancing at the clock. It was only ten at night; what was the rush?  
"Yes, good night."

She watched him walk up the steps and vanish into the darkness.  
Who was that man? He seemed so... familiar. Something told her she liked him. But if she did, why had Voldemort dragged her away!?  
"I need a drink," she muttered, rubbing her forehead and heading for the kitchen.


	10. No!

"What is... this?"  
Elodie glanced back from her position in front of the stove and grinned, "It's soup... You said you wanted to eat healthier."  
"Meat is still healthy!" Voldemort argued, pushing his spoon daintily around the bowl, "This is..."  
"Mushroom soup," she snapped, planting her hands on her hips, "If you don't like it; starve."  
If he was going to fuss about her cooking, he did not actually have to eat it. However, he had asked her to cook all of his meals, and in that case, he would eat what she made him.  
Elodie quite liked their kitchen. It was small, a massive screen door near the rear of the room exiting out onto a set of wooden stairs, which led down to a small indent in the cliff. She had discovered it was great for swimming.

There were common Muggle items, much to her surprise, including a fridge and a stove, along with an island in the centre of the kitchen, instead of a table. A few bar stools were lined up along the outside, which she thought gave it a classic touch for a family without children.  
"You know... I can cook," Voldemort grumbled, sipping the liquid off of his spoon, "And if you don't start making me a steak every once and a while, I may just have to start."  
Elodie snorted and fixed herself a bowl of soup, then settled onto her own bar stool across from him, "So how is this Ministry heist going? Any progress?"

"I've gotten several men into the departments, looking for jobs," he sighed, rolling his eyes, "It would be foolish to do a full-on attack at this point... They seem to be their strongest."  
"I told you," she chided, wagging her spoon in his direction, "Don't underestimate them."  
"Oh? And since when have you been on _their_ side?" he demanded sourly, his eyes narrowing. She rolled her eyes, still smiling, "I'm not siding with them... I'm thinking logically."  
He grinned and a foot suddenly slid up her leg, causing her to gasp, "It's always sexy when you think."  
Elodie felt her cheeks colour and she looked down at her soup, smiling to herself.  
"My Lord?"

Elodie looked up quickly and spotted Julian and Adrian making their way towards the kitchen, somewhat more relaxed then they had been a day before, during the rally. They were always more tense when others were around, as was Voldemort.  
"What?" Voldemort snapped gruffly, taking another sip of his soup, "I'm in the middle of a meal."  
"Our pardons, Lord," Julian stated, nodding to Elodie, "My Lady, how are you this evening?"  
"Fine, thank you," she replied as politely as she could. There had always been something slightly off about Julian Nott and Adrian Malfoy. Something told her she had seen them before... But where? They were about her age; school maybe?

"We wanted to give you an update," Adrian explained, turning his attention to Voldemort, "We've gotten several members into some low status jobs at the Ministry. We figured it would be best, since they won't get much attention that way."  
"Excellent," Voldemort praised, stirring his soup absentmindedly as he looked at his servants, "I want them to send me weekly reports, understood?"  
"Yes, my Lord," they replied in unison.  
There was a sudden blast from the front door, and Elodie jumped, nearly tumbling off her seat. Adrian and Julian whipped around, and Voldemort was instantly off his seat, his wand drawn and eyes wide, alert.

Voldemort had taken away her wand, stating even though she was a witch, there was no need to use it, since she would always have someone to defend her. But what was the point in even _being_ a witch when she wasn't allowed to hand her wand. He removed it from her after she tortured Nott. Had she frightened him into not trusting her with a wand?  
She watched the three men hastily move into the main entrance of the house, leaving her alone in the kitchen. Well, she was not just going to sit there! She wanted to see who or what was attacking her home!

Swallowing thickly, she inched closer to the door, peeking around it. There was a man.  
A man with black hair, slightly messy, and green eyes, from what she could see. He was tall, perhaps the same as Voldemort. He was lean, in shape...  
And his name...  
His name was Edward.  
Elodie stumbled back, her mind suddenly exploding with images.

Tom Riddle.  
Pain. Hurt.  
Edward Potter.  
Love. Comfort.  
Marriage.  
Paris.  
James.  
Son.  
First steps. First word! Mum.  
Voldemort.  
Evil, cruel!

She placed a weak hand on her forehead, suddenly regaining a clear picture of what had happened...  
He... He had erased her memories! He had taken her from her family!  
That foul... heartless man had erased her from existence!  
She'd kissed him! She'd said she was _thankful_ that she had him!  
What was happening with James?! If Edward was here, was he safe? With Gill or Hirman?  
No! Gill was the one she saw the other night, making his way through the streets of Dover...  
And _he_ dragged her away!  
That miserable...  
And now she was wandless.  
It didn't matter... There were more then one way to kill a man.

"Edward!" she shrieked, propelling herself out of the kitchen, hurrying toward the man she loved. Adrian reached out swiftly, however, and caught her around the waist, causing her to scream in frustration and beat him with her fists, "Let me go!"  
"Ah, it seems dear Elodie has regained her memories," Voldemort chuckled, "Pity... We were getting along so nicely. Put her up in our room... I'll deal with her later."  
"Release her, scum, or I swear-"  
"What are you going to do?" Adrian sneered, "Stun a man when he isn't ready?"  
Elodie's eyes found Julian on the floor, and she grinned; a small victory for her Edward.  
"Let me go!" she repeated, this time a little more fiercely, kicking him in the shins, "Edward!"  
Adrian caught a look from the Dark Lord and placed his wand under Elodie's chin, pressing it against her skin, "Take another step, Potter, and I'll do it again. Her memories and everything!"  
Elodie elbowed him as hard as she could in the chest, and he winced, but only tightened his hold on her.

"Put her upstairs," the Dark Lord snarled, "And I'll finish him."  
"I eagerly await the challenge," Edward spat, raising his wand at Voldemort's chest as Adrian dragged her toward the staircase, grunting at how much trouble she was causing him. She planted her feet firmly on the ground, demanding he release her, only silencing when he shoved his wand harshly against her throat.

"Come on..." Edward jeered, "First we bow, in a proper duel."  
He dipped down dramatically, "Come, come, you piece of filth... I'm waiting!"  
Voldemort raised his wand, a smile on his lips, "_Avada Kedavra_."  
"NO!"


	11. Pathetic

"NO! You cruel, heartless bastard!" Elodie screamed, tears welling in her eyes as she watched Edward fall, his wand clattering on the ground loudly. She finally managed to squirm free from Adrian and launched forward at Voldemort, attacking him with her only weapons; her hands.  
To her shock, he was laughing, catching her by the wrists each time she tried to hit him. She was shaking, sobs racking her body as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her close to him, "Oh, come on, _Kitten_, I wasn't a cruel heartless bastard last night, was I?"  
"You're pathetic," she spat through tears, twisting vainly in his arms, "You're pathetic!"  
He clucked his tongue at her disapprovingly and began to kiss her neck whenever he got the chance, "He was weak... You need someone strong... Clearly he couldn't defend you."  
"That was an unfair attack!" she cried, her small fists beating down on the hands that were snaked around her stomach. He snickered in her ear, but his laughter was cut short and his hands fell. She looked back at him, then noticed he was staring at Edward.

No... No, it wasn't Edward anymore.

The black hair was slowly changing into red, and Elodie's eyes widened as the lean body turned thin, and into the one of Hirman Weasley. Her jaw dropped and her eyes watered once more, "H-Hirman..."  
She shoved Voldemort off her and she rushed forward, falling to her knees beside the dead body of her friend, "No... No, no, no..."

Voldemort kicked her aside and knelt down, pulling a vial out of Hirman's breast pocket, opening it cautiously, and sniffing. With a snarl, he tossed it across the room, causing it to shatter, "Cambie forma..."  
"Cambie forma?" she repeated, brushing away her tears with the back of her hand, "That... That's illegal!"

Cambie forma was a breakthrough from wizards in Spain. It could be uttered as a spell, or drunk like a potion, but like the translation, it would change a person's form into anything else, without needing the hair of another, as done in the Polyjuice Potion. However, the main side effect was that upon receiving an injury, or being killed, the person would begin to change back into their original form.  
"Well, apparently for you Aurors it's legal," he sneered, rolling his eyes, "Adrian!"  
"Yes, my Lord," Adrian answered, hurrying down the stairs and to Voldemort's side. Elodie began searching for ways to escape. She had lived here for atleast a week... She should _know_ all the ways out!  
"Dispose of the body," Voldemort snarled, "And revive Nott... I'll deal with her... Don't disturb me."  
"Of course, my lord."

Elodie glanced back to the kitchen, remembering the door that led outside, and slowly began crawling toward it, stopping whenever either of the men looked in her direction. She couldn't hear them any longer, since they were speaking in low voices, so she took her chance and scrambled to her feet, running for the kitchen.  
"Hey!"  
She slid across the tiled floor and desperately tried to rip open the glass door, but to her horror, she found it locked magically.  
"Bugger," she whispered heatedly, tugging at the door, "Just open!"  
"Tsk, tsk, _Kitten_," Voldemort laughed, leaning on the doorframe, "Why are you suddenly making this so difficult? This morning my wish was your command..."  
"Fuck you!" she cursed, looking for something to throw at him, "How could you do this to me?!"  
"I get what I want, and recently, I've had urges only a woman can cure," he purred, stalking toward her, "Besides, don't think I've forgotten how smart you are."  
"Don't think I've forgotten how you used me in school," she fired back, "You're horrible!"  
"So I've been told," he laughed, finally getting close enough to grab her, "Now come, Mrs. Elodie Riddle... You have wifely duties to attend to!"  
"I'm not your wife," she whimpered as he dragged her out of the kitchen, "I'm Edward's wife..."  
"Ah yes, _Potter_," he droned, rolling his eyes, "I'll kill him soon enough."  
She noticed they were alone, and Hirman's body had disappeared. She frowned and began to struggle again, stopping him in his tracks, "Where's the body!? Where are you putting him?!"  
"Malfoy took him," he grunted, swiping her up under her knees and fitting her into his arms, "Other then that I really... just... don't care."  
"How can you be so heartless?!" Elodie demanded, pushing against his chest as he carried her toward the staircase. He rolled his eyes, dropped her, then whipped out his wand, holding it at level with her face, "I think we've established that I have no heart... Now... Move."  
"Where to, Oh Heartless One?" she sneered. He grinned, "_Crucio!_"

In an instant, Elodie had dropped to her knees, screaming at the pain coursing through her limbs. It was the most intense thing she had ever felt, and wondered how people could survive hours of this during interrogations. She arched her back, crying out in pain, and he finally ended it.  
"Don't think I won't do worse," he snarled, dragging her to her feet and giving her a shove towards the staircase, "Upstairs. Now."  
"What for?" she asked weakly, trying to keep her calm, aloof voice intact. He remained silent, forcing her to move up the stairs slowly. There were no other exits. The windows were just glass, and unless she intended on breaking them with something, they would be useless for an escape route.  
"Into the bedroom, _Kitten_," he jeered, poking her harshly in the shoulder with his wand, "I have one more thing to do before I go search for your pathetic husband."  
"You leave him alone," she hissed through gritted teeth, "He doesn't need to be involved."  
"He sent his little friend down there in place to rescue his beloved wife," Voldemort snorted, shoving her inside finally and locking the door, "I deem that as pathetic."  
"Of course you would," she whimpered as he pushed her toward the bed, "I bet he has a brilliant plan that you'll never see coming."  
"Ha!" he snorted, giving her one final push, causing her to trip and topple onto the bed, "I very highly doubt it, Elodie, my dear."

*-

_Stupid Potter, Tom, stupid Potter._

_  
_Yes, stupid Potter. He wasted a perfectly done killing curse on some simple Weasley. Not that he really minded killing the man; it was just such a wasted. Had he known it was not Edward, he would have tortured the man a little more first.  
Elodie forced herself off the bed and slid around him, rushing for the door. Releasing a growl, he turned back and clutched her by the elbow. However, doing so, she whipped back and brought her hand across his face, raking her nails along his skin.

Ow! Fuck! Fuck! Bugger! Fuck! Fuck!

He snarled angrily and snatched up a fistful of her hair, yanking her back onto the bed and holding his wand in her face. Bloody Hell, she actually made him bleed! He wiped away the small dribble on blood on his chin and glared at her.

"Kitten _does_ have claws," she mocked, her breathing heavy and chest heaving. He rolled his eyes, "How devilishly clever, dearest."  
"I'm sure you were thinking the same thing," she snapped, her eyes darting from the door behind him to the few windows along the wall.  
Naturally she was looking for somewhere to run. All his victims did this, and it was getting boring.  
"I brought you here in hopes I would get some Ministry information, Kitten," he stated, forcing her up the bed a little more with the movement of his wand, "And I did."  
"There's nothing too special in the Department of Mysteries," she sputtered, "I've been there myself!"  
"Don't lie," he chuckled, "There is something very special there... And I want it."  
"So what does that have to do with me?"  
"Oh, nothing," he laughed, watching panic flash across her eyes, "I'm finished with your information..."  
"Then... Then why do you need me?" she whispered, her mind coming to the conclusion before he said it. Smiling, he clambered onto the bed, his wand still on her, "Wifely duties?"  
Elodie kicked out at him with her foot, desperately crawling to the other side of the bed, but he grabbed her leg and hauled her back, climbing onto her waist and locking his legs around her.  
Feisty, Tom, feisty.  
"So what do you intend to do?" she sniped, slashing up at him again with her hands, "Rape me?!"  
He pushed his hand up her dress, past the small knickers he had bought for her, and shoved a finger inside of her, causing her to squeal loudly and try to drag his arm away. He smiled and moved his finger in and out several times, "You can't rape someone who is just begging for you? Turned on already, Elodie?"

She brought her hand up again, but he ducked back, causing her to only graze his face. With a feral smirk, he snatched up her hands and pulled them to his lips, planting kisses along the outside. She groaned and began to squirm beneath him, only stopping when he pressed his hips harder into her. Her eyes widened and he knew she felt his arousal.

"Get off of me!" she commanded, trying feverishly to roll him over somehow, "Let me go!"  
He leaned down, smothering her lips with his, his tongue snaking into her mouth. She bit down, hard enough to draw blood, but he only laughed against her lips, not breaking the kiss. His hands moved down to the chest line of her dress, and in a swift movement, he had torn the thin material and pushed it down, giving his hands free access to her breast.

Her eyes were open, and they widened more as he pinched and twisted here and there, causing her to whimper and push at his shoulders with her hands weakly. He finally pulled away, his lips attaching themselves to her neck as his hands moved down to her dress, pulling the fabric up to her hips. Her breathing quickened, and she winced, "No... No, please don't."  
"Quiet," he hissed, "You know we both want this!"

Her eyes fluttered shut as he pushed gently on the pressure point on her neck, and her hands fell limply onto her head. Suddenly, she tugged him away, "No! No, I don't want this!"  
"You'll be staying with me," he chuckled, propping himself up on his elbows, "Why not just give in now?"  
A tear slid down her cheek and she turned her head to the side, not responding. He took that as a signal to carry on, and he ripped her knickers aside and began undoing his belt buckle, then his pants. She gulped loudly, then finally rolled him off during his brief distraction.  
Bloody Hell! Why won't she just lie still!? What happened to the damn submissive streak he had going?  
Growling, he caught her just before she was off the bed. With all the force he had, he ripped her back and onto her stomach, her hands crushed beneath her body. She whimpered and shook as he positioned himself behind her on his knees, but he ignored her, his mind too focused on the task at hand. Getting the fabric out of the way once more, he thrust into her from behind, causing her to release a loud sob, her hands curling into fists in the bed sheets.

"Doesn't Edward fuck you enough at home?" he asked cruelly, grasping a fist load of her hair and dragging her straight up in front of him, her back pressed against his shirt, their clothed bodies hot, "You're just so tight... Tighter then when I first had you, it seems."  
"That's... none of your business," she groaned, a squeal caught in her throat as he pushed her down onto her hands, picking up his pace to suit his own pleasure. She began to writhe beneath him, and he pressed into her thoughts for the first time.

She wanted it, but she didn't. There was a constant, on going argument in her mind.  
Voldemort grinned and reached around, cupping her brest roughly as he bit random spots along her neck and shoulders. Her arms began to shake, and they finally gave way at her elbows, causing her to sink lower onto the bed. Her breathing came out in shallow gasps, as did his, and with one final thrust, it was over.

A little too quickly, in his mind, but he didn't want it to last all night. If he had, he would have stripped her down and taken her properly.  
Her hands were still in fists, wrapped in the covers of his large bed. He stepped away, tidying himself up, looking as though nothing happened. Elodie rolled onto her side, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them, her eyes welling with tears.

"And now, my dear, I shall attend to that husband of yours," he chuckled, leaning across the bed and planting a rough kiss on her sealed lips, "Though, I can't just leave you like this."  
He grabbed her left wrist and tugged her up the bed, twining a rope around it from his wand, then attaching her to the bedpost.

_  
Caged bird, Tom, caged bird._

Yes, he could call her a caged bird. Or a frightened little girl, locked away in his dark tower. Oh the possibilities were endless.  
"You never moaned my name, like you did before," he purred, running his lips along her neck, "Say it now, before I go."

She remained silent, and he bit down forcefully, causing her to squeak and whisper, "Tom..."  
He sneered at her against her skin, "My true name."  
"I won't say it..." she murmured, her eyes closed, as if trying to escape his clutches.  
But of course... If she didn't see him, he must not be there.  
"Say it," he growled, his hand snaking up and closing around her throat, "My name."  
Her free hand was instantly over his, trying to pry it from her neck, her eyes flying open in shock, "No-"  
"My name!"

"Voldemort," she gasped, her nails digging painfully into his skin, "Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort!"  
He smiled eerily and released her, tenderly pecking at her neck and cheeks before sweeping off the bed, his large, black robes flowing around him.

And now to Potter.


	12. Sweetest Eyes

Elodie sat staring at a spot on the bed, her shoulders shaking and lip quivering as she tried not to completely break down. Heartbroken, shocked, and emotionally scarred (probably physically scarred, but she hadn't had the nerve to check yet), she replayed the night in her mind.  
Hirman was dead, and Tom... Voldemort had raped her. Things couldn't get any worse. It was killing her that she still had no idea where Edward was, or where James was, and she had a gut feeling that she wouldn't ever be seeing them again.  
She sniffled loudly, covering her face with her hand as she sobbed, tears falling from her eyes in large droplets, too heavy to simply roll down her cheek.  
"Pssst!"

She ceased her wailing, wiping under her eyes and glancing nervously around the room. She'd heard something... But from where?  
"Elodie? At the window!"

She whipped around and spotted none other then Gill Griss clutching the window pane awkwardly, his wand in his hand. Her eyes widened and she tried to rush forward to the slowly opening window, but she found herself restrained to the bedpost. He shook his head, "Just relax... I'm sure he's set wards around the house, so the moment I step through the window, they'll go off."  
"Gill," she cried, her resistance breaking down and allowing more tears to rage out, "Gill, he killed Hirman! And... And he was disguised as Edward-"  
"I know, I know, shh," he hushed softly, "Speak quietly... He could be right outside the door, for all we know."  
She nodded and tried to control herself, "What's going on?"

"We've been tracking you since the day you left," he explained, shifting his weight on the wood, "And we tracked you to here. Hirman and I decided Edward was too emotionally unstable, respectively... He has lost his wife, so we made the choice to send someone in his place. We stunned him, and sent him back through the Floo network... I'm sure he regained consciousness ... Maybe an hour ago. I left him a note warning him not to come, or he'd never see you again."  
That was true... Edward did act on his emotions quite a bit, while he was usually making the correct choice, he wore his heart on his sleeve.

Elodie squirmed on the bed, trying to pull her wrist through the tight piece of rope. She had tried once before, but it had only caused her to tear up her skin, and even with the rope slightly tainted with blood, it was useless to pull.  
"I'm going to break the rope from here," Gill whispered, "Move down the bed, and as soon as it snaps, run to me... We'll jump, and I'll apparate us home in the air. Understood?"  
Elodie moved as far down the bed as she could and shut her eyes, yelping when the spell seared her skin as it raced by, luckily snapping the rope on the first try.  
Then came the sirens. Loud, whirring sirens echoed through the house, and as Elodie hastily rolled off the bed, a bright flash of light whizzed by her left shoulder, knocking her off her balance and slamming into the wall beside the window. Her eyes darted back just in time to move out of the way as Voldemort sent another stunning spell at her.

"Elodie!" Gill screamed over the sirens, "Let's go!"  
He held out his hand, and the moment she touched it, she felt the apparition coming into effect, leaving Voldemort's loud bedroom chambers in a swirling, dizzy mess.  
When she reopened her eyes, she was standing in her kitchen, still clad in her slightly torn dress, messy hair, and tied wrist, but she was home. As quick as she could, she leapt onto Gill, giving him the largest hug she could muster, and planted a kiss on his cheek, "I owe you my life."  
He sighed and stepped away, shaking his head, "You owe me nothing. _A friend need not thank a friend for a kind deed, unless that friend did not deserve it._"  
She grinned slightly, "How poetic."

"A direct quote from a good friend of mine... Albus Dumbledore," he chuckled, and her eyes sparkled at the mere name, "He'll be happy to know you're safe."  
Once he had bid her goodnight, he left with a loud 'pop', which was accompanied by the sound of a door shutting.  
When she strained to listen, she picked out the low tones of her husband, and the tired voice of her son. Her body shook with happiness, and she nearly broke down and wept right then and there.  
"Edward!" she shouted, moving out of the kitchen as quickly as she could, "James!"  
As she flung herself around the corner, Edward nearly dropped James as he carried him inside, his expression in complete shock. James wiggled loose and launched himself at Elodie, "Mummy!!"  
She scooped him up and held him close, his face buried in her hair, his small arms clutched around her neck. She wasn't sure if he was crying, or trying not to cry, but she could hear voiceless sobs next to her ear, and she rubbed his back soothingly, whispering words of comfort, "Mummy's here... She's not going anywhere, ever again."

Edward stood, rooted in his spot for several moments, then hurried over to her, pulling her chin up and crashing his lips down into hers, his arms circling both her body and James into a large, family hug. Tears tumbled down her cheeks and she eagerly responded to his desperate kiss. Suddenly, she broke away, then set James down, "James, sweetie, go get ready for bed, and Mummy will be up to tuck you in in a few minutes."  
He nodded and scampered up the nearby stairs, using his hands to propel himself up, then out of sight.  
"Oh, Gods I've missed you," Edward whispered, pulling her in close and pressing his lips anywhere he could, "I thought... When Gill said if I tried to find you... I thought I'd lost you when he told me to stay away."

"He thought you'd do something stupid like getting yourself killed," she whimpered, clutching his cloak tightly, and rubbing her face on the smooth material, "Hirman was killed..."  
She slowly looked up and noticed the tears pooling in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall, "I shouldn't have let him help. When he asked, I should have said no."  
"Edward..." she sniffed, running her hands up his chest and around his neck, "I love you so, so much... My memory... He..."  
"I know," he murmured into her hair, soothingly swaying her back and forth, "I understand."  
"He... He..." she almost couldn't bring herself to say it, "Before Gill came... He raped me, Edward."  
A tear slipped out, but he hastily brushed it away, almost as if he was trying to not let her see him weak, "I won't ever let anything happen to you... Ever again."  
"You-"  
"I swear it," he continued urgently, holding her tightly against him, "I swear I'll never let him hurt you again."

"Mummy?" James called from the top stair, "I'm finished."  
"I'm coming, love," Elodie replied, pulling away from Edward and clutching his warm hand desperately, "I think I could use some help tucking in our boy."  
He smiled and the pair climbed up the staircase together, and she found herself walking a familiar route to James's room. The walls were lined with tiny, press on Snitches, and there were toys everywhere, something she had always yelled at him about. But now... It didn't matter.  
"Into bed you go, young man," she chuckled, pulling back the blue comforter as James hopped on, straightening our for her to tuck him in.  
"Where were you?"  
Elodie glanced up at Edward and she sighed, pulling the covers up to his shoulders, "Mummy was with a bad man."  
"Did he hurt you?"

Elodie's bottom lip trembled and she nodded, "Yes... But everything is fine now. Mummy is safe."  
Edward placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, smiling.  
This was love. Love was not ripping each other's clothes off, desperate for a shag every moment. Love was the silent times, the troubled times, and the wonderful times. Love was when you share a true connection with someone, and know nothing, _nothing_, can break it.  
"I love you."

*-

Edward was only coming into the office for a few things. He wanted to make sure Gill had filed a report on Voldemort's whereabouts, and that his entire team was scouring the area to find the murdering bastard.  
Once he had been assured that was being taken care of, he was told there was someone here to see him.

When he stepped out of the elevator and into the atrium, his eyes fell upon Septimus Weasley, Hirman's elder brother. They had met a few times, but Septimus was always out of the country on some sort of duty that the Minister assigned him.  
There was a small boy standing beside him, maybe a little older then James. He was thin, like his father, with a shaggy mop of red hair.

Definitely a Weasley.

"Is it true?" Septimus asked swiftly when Edward got close enough, "They haven't been able to find the body?"  
Edward let out a long sigh and shook his head, his eyes weary from the past several weeks events, "I'm sorry to tell you... No, no luck yet. We will find it though."  
The ragged man ran a hand through his hair, then noticed Edward studying his boy, "Oh... My youngest, Arthur. He just turned ten."

"Nice to meet you, Arthur," Edward said cheerfully, shaking the young man's hand. It must have been difficult for the boy to be happy, considering his uncle had just been killed, but he forced a smile and eagerly shook Edward's hand, "Same to you, Mr. Potter."  
Edward ruffled his red hair and turned back to Septimus, looking the man dead in the eye, "Hirman was my best friend... My wife and son loved him as a member of our family, and I will not rest until I find his body."

*-

_Let her get away, Tom, let her get away?!_

Yes, yes he had.

_Why, Tom, why?!_

He was finished with her, for now.

He swirled the brandy about in his glass, studying his new home. Of course, the moment Elodie escaped with that ... man, Voldemort had his things magically transported to his next location in Wales. Let them search Dover and the coast all they wanted; he'd be nowhere near.

Of course, he was not pleased that Elodie had gotten away so easily, but he was sure it made her feel good to think she outsmarted him.  
Fine, let her and her dearest _Potter_ have their moments of glory. Voldemort knew they wouldn't last forever.  
He pressed the cool glass against his forehead and stared aimlessly out the window into the rain, wondering when he would see her again. He knew he would, it would take more of a cunning plan to get her next time around.  
Not that it mattered... The lose of his wife for a second time may just kill Edward.  
Though Voldemort couldn't be too hopeful.  
Oh yes... An interesting future lay ahead for the Potters...  
And Voldemort was determined to make sure it involved him.


End file.
